Beads are one of the oldest form of personal adornement
from the immemorial time around the world. The mankind
has been making & using the beads from dating
back to pre-historic time.It is said that the oldest
beads were made about 40000 years ago from the ostrich
egg shell but other archaeologicals have found ebvidences
which indicate that the ancient mankind used to
make beads even befor that.It is not just a question
of who has found the oldest beads, whether they
be in West Asia or Africa or elsewhere. Archaeologists
are beginning to realize what a profound invention
they were and are now actively discussing their
meaning.
Their role as social markers has recently garnered
attention. Now the earliest appearance of beads
coinciding with radical changes in hunting habits
is lending weight to a "new view" of
human development.
Nearly contemporary early beads have now been
found in Turkey, Kenya, Lebanon, and Bulgaria.
Mary Stiner, of the University of Arizona, told
the American Association for the Advancement of
Science's annual meeting that these finds, coupled
with her work with Steven Kuhn in early sites
around the Mediterranean reveal a change in hunting
practices by early humans some 40,000 to 50,000.
Similar changes are seen in Africa.
At this time, there was a major change in hunting
habits from slow, easy-to-catch animals like tortoises
and shellfish to swifter, more elusive animals
like rabbits and partridges. Why? Stiner says:
If you have over-used your preferred resource,
you can respond by turning to lower-ranked, harder-to-catch
resources.
Human population increase may well also be the
reason for the appearance of the first beads.
As she explained, Ornamentation is universal among
all modern human foragers. For these people, ornaments
as principally used to denote status and group
membership.
Because these changes were made at about the
same time in widely dispersed places, the evidence
mounts that modern human behavior arose almost
simultaneously in several places. This is the
"continuity" theory of modern human
development, occurring in parallel among populations
on three continents.
It contrasts with the "out of Africa"
theory that suggests that modern humans emerged
from Africa at this time, sweeping less advanced
indigenous populations before them. The idea that
all humans had their ultimate origin in Africa
is not in dispute here.
The fact that both behavioral changes (hunting,
beadmaking) happened long after the appearance
of anatomically modern humans is also significant.
As Stiner put it: it [is] clear that modern human
behavior doesn't appear at the same time that
skeletally modern humans do.
Beads are used for many diffrent purposes in
societies such as healing, personal adornement,
creativity, handicrafts, royality, collections,
mythical etc. Beads have been also playing important
role in the development of society, culture over
the years in all the contents of the world.
In America-Native Americans have long made great
use of Beads in their jewelery, waistbands, bracelets,
bags and other clothes. Leather and suede items
are heavily studded with Turquoise and other Beads
of green, white, blue and red creating visually
motifs that often also tell a story.Beads are
often seen everywhere in daily life.
In Europe-In various parts of Europe there is
very importance of Beads.Various types of Beads
are prefered in various regions.Gemstones Beads
are very populer in Germany,Netherland,Belgium,Switzerland
& Italy.Costume Jewelery Beads are populer
in France,Spain & Pourtgal.Also in other Eurpean
regions there is much importance of diffrent types
of Beads.Also in many daily life products Beads
are often used.European artists do love Beads.
In Russia- Especially Glass Beads have been popular
since the 10th century. As well as embroidering
beads onto purses, bags, shoes, waistbands and
a variety of coverlets, much larger and incredibly
impressive items of beadwork were created, including
whole items of furniture! Popular patterns included
flowers and symbols taken from classical art:
angels, hearts, keys and anchors. This folk culture
of beading even made its way into Russian orthodox
churches where elaborate examples of beading can
be found in many ritualistic objects.
In Africa- Brightly colored Beads displaying
geometrical patterns with sacral meanings have
long played an important role in Africa.Gemstones
Beads are most prefered in Africa.
In Asia-Beads have been playing important role
in societies of Asian countries.Asians do love
them for healing,mythical purposes.Jade is in
fact called a stone of Asia.It is known as Chinese
stone & very populer in Asian counties.In
the Indonesian archipelago the preferred color
for beadwork is yellow.Cultured & uncultured
pearls are mostly desired of China & Japan
respetively.Beads in Asia are used for many creative,artistic
purposes.In Asia pacific ,Beads are very populer.
In many cultures Beads have also been used as
money or for barter. When Christopher Columbus
set off for the New World he took Beads as gifts.
In fact, even Manhattan was bought with Beads.
Beads Varities
There are various varieties of beads which of
them here includes only the most populer traditional
varieties of beads such as like-Gemstones Beads,
Crystal Beads,Cultured freswater Pearls ,coral
beads,silver Beads & glass beads.
Gemstones Beads
Gemstones beads are the most popular type of beads
made from precious gems and semi precious gems.
Gemstones Precious beads though are valuable types
than others yet they can be affordable as well.
Gemstones semi precious beads are extramely populer
for their wide variety of semi precious gemstones.These
beads do come in lots types of colors,shapes,designes
etc. more importantly they have been always affordable
in prices.Gemstones beads are manufactured in
the ancient gemstones capital Jaipur in India.
Jaipur, A place which is known as gem city
and renowned for it's variety of Gemstones Beads,
as well as it's history & quality of beads
production. Gemstones beads are normally manufactured
through eight following processing steps-
- Rough Material-It is Sourced in local gem
mines and imported from other gem-producing
countries around the globe, procurers purchase
large amounts of Rough gems.
- Assortment-Secondly the rough is sorted, graded
and classified according to shapes.
- Preforming- After the rough is sorted by shape
it is worked into “preforms”. This
stage is still a traditional cottage industry,
with the preformers generally taking the rough
home to work on at their leisure.
- Polishing.-Than preforms are sorted into two
categories: those to be made into Facetted Beads
and those for making Plain Beads. Each category
is then sent to its respective artisan for polishing.
- Assortment- After polishing, the gem material
is again sorted and graded to ensure the highest
level of consistency and quality control.
- Drilling- Once the Beads are graded and sorted
they are drilled for beadwork.
- Stringing- The prepared Beads then are strung
in thread to give it's tradiitional last appreance.
- Ready to ship- In the end,Jaipur’s famous
Beads be ready to ship to bead enthusiasts around
the world.
Jaipur beads are well- known around the world
for it's workmanship for about 240 years.Jaipur
beads workmanship is extramely populer.Where there
is a talk about gemstones beads,Jaipur beads are
the main factor to discuss in gemstone world.
Precious stones beads,crystal beads,coral beads,turquoise
beads,jade beads are all various categoried of
gemstone beads.
Cultured Pearls
Pearls are water born organic gems that originate
from living animals.They are also classified as
colored gems.Natural, uncultured pearls are the
most expensive type of all pearls but are very
rarely seen in today’s market. Nowadays
they only make appearances as antiques.On the
other hand,cultured freswater pearls do come in
every shape, size and color imaginable. The modern
pearl market offer everything to Pearl beads buyer.
Chinese akoya pearls and freshwater pearls dominate
the market and offer buyers attractive pearls
at affordable prices.Cultured pearls possess mystery,
luster, and beauty, and attraction no matter the
shape or color. We offer pearls in traditional
white and pastel tones as well as trend-setting
copper, lavender, peach, champagne, silver, gold,
green-gold.Cultured freshwater pearls are the
most populer type of Pearls in today's market.
A brief description how the pearls are cultured-
Pearl culturing is absolutely standard in the
gemstone industry. The process starts with “nucleation”.
Spherical beads are implanted into the oyster
along with tissue from another mollusk. In a defensive
response, the oyster coats this invader with layers
of slightly iridescent “nacre”, which
is the attractive outside of the pearls we see
in today's market.
Akoya Pearls
Akoya Pearls are very popular and are named after
the Japanese word for the relatively small Pinctada
Fucata oyster. Mostly grown in Japanese and Chinese
coastal waters, these oysters are nucleated with
as many as five beads ranging from 2 to 6 millimeters
in diameter. Only about one out of five nucleated
Akoya produces Pearls and only a fraction of these
are of gem quality.
Tahitian Pearls
Tahitian Pearls are from French Polynesia and
are named after the tropical island of Tahiti.
Grown in the large black-lipped oyster Pinctada
Margaritifera, these Tahitian Pearls are usually
very expensive. Well known for their very attractive
black, gray and silver colors, Tahitian Color
Akoya Pearls make a far better value but equally
beautiful alternative.
South Sea Pearls
South Sea Pearls come from Australia, Indonesia
and the Philippines. Cultured in varieties of
Pinctada Maxima, these large, warm water loving,
gold and silver-lipped oysters produce fabulous
colors. Highly expensive they are often unobtainable
for many consumers. Fortunately, South Sea Color
Akoya Pearls exhibit the same splendid orange,
golden-yellow and pinkish fancy colors, at far
better value.
Silver Beads & Accessories
Silver beads are the precious metal beads which
are solid or plated. These type of beads have
been always popular materials of beads from the
pre-historic time. Sometime nickel and rhodium
also make for affordable and atteractive alternative.These
beads are integral parts of creative jewellery
designes as they are so affordable in prices.
Beads accessories are the beads making materials.
Without the correct accessories it is difficult
to bring your Beads to use. Silver beads accessories
are clasps, pins, connectors, spacers and all
the other small but essential items that transform
a simple string of Beads into a finished item
of beautiful Bead Jewelry.These stringing materials
are an integral part of beading but as something
that most people don’t ever see, they are
often overlooked. However, for the beader they
are the corner stones of any beading project or
craft.
Glass Beads
If you are looking for costume jewelery,glass
beads are best alternative.It offers various colors
& designes for creative jewelery designes.Glass
Beads have been a mainstay of the beading world
from the immemorial time. They are Bright, colourful
and fabulous for any beading project or beading
craft.Best thing about these beads that they are
very affordable in prices & do make any creative
jewelery very attractive after completion of any
Beadline Product.Ever since the 19th century,
Glass Beads have been popular in Western Europe
for embroidering onto evening gowns and other
formal attire. Hats, bags and other accessories
can also be given the bead treatment to startling
effect, while vintage home décor items,
such as door-curtains and lampshades, often make
great use of Beads’ decorative qualities.
How to buy Gemstones beads
Befor you buy,keep these general thing in mind.Beads
traditionally come in strands,necklaces or as
individual pieces. When buying beads it is important
to inspect them closely to make sure that they
are of the desired shape, size, clarity (especially
for Gemstone Beads), color and overall beauty.To
facilitate our customers & save their valuable
time,we have already sorted only quality standard
& most populer going beads in today's market
especially for USA & European market.
Secondly, Shape is important factor to consider
when buying Beads especially in precious stones
beads. Do you want traditional round or oval shaped
beads or are you looking for something more unusual
like cones, rectangles or drops?It is also important
to consider how you are going to use your Beads.
How to buy Cultured Freswater Pearls
Befor you buy pearls,keep this important factor
in mind,the heavier the pearl, the greater it’s
desirability.Another important factor, pearls
are measured and expressed by their size not weight
(e.g. 8.5 millimeters). Often pearls over 9 millimeters
are generally disproportionately expensive in
comparison to their price-to-weight ratio.Round
pearls should be as perfectly round as possible.
However, even top quality strands can contain
the occasional semi-round pearl. Described as
being round, semi-round, off-round, or baroque,
as with color preference, shape preference is
personal.Cultured Freswater perals available to
our website or our stores are in almost all colors
& shapes which going so successfully in todays
market.
For beads buyer on this page ,we have although
given the general things about beads to facilitate
them to buy the beadsline products available on
our website at their own , yet if you think you
need more information about any product you buy
from our stores, please donot hesitate to contact
us.
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