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The word "bead" comes from the Alglo-Saxon "bidden" (to pray) and "bede" (prayer). Beads have their origins in the spiritual realm, as "tools" for devotion, but their destiny has often been more practical. From time immemorial, Arabian silversmiths have perfected their skill as the world s best jewe lers. Their role in the ancient land was an important one. Jewelry, made from silver and precious beads, was portable wealth -- like money! Since jewelry was the only means of transferring wealth, it was vital in arranging marriages and celebrating births. Each piece of antique jewelry has a rich history. Bead making is a highly valued art/skill throughout the entire world from very early times onward. Many of the skills and techniques used have been hidden for centuries and if the method was revealed, the craftsman possibly risked death. Even today, some secrets are still highly valued in some countries. Some countries rationed the export of beads because there were only a few skilled workers. This of course, raised the value of the beads immensely. HANDMADE LAMPWORK glass beads are made on a metal rod or copper wire. Molten glass is wound on the rod and then designs are added to enhance the bead. Millefiori (million flowers) is used to decorate many beads. It is a type of mosaic work involving many layers of glass to create a pattern (similar to clay millifiori) and then the large design of glass is pulled out into a long thin rod and then cut to reveal the beautiful designs within. These designs are then placed onto a bead or other glass work and melted into it to create multiple complex designs in a very small space. After the handmade Lampwork Glass beads are made, they are then put into an oven to heat all parts evenly and then allowed to cool slowly to reduce the stress in the bead. This is called annealing and it is a necessary part of beadmaking. After the bead is cooled, if a copper wire was used, the bead is immersed in an acid bath to free the wire , but in the American made beads steel rod called a Mandrel, which is coated with bead release (a type of kiln wash specially made for beadmakers) is generally used and it allows the bead to come off the rod when immersed in water. MASS PRODUCTION of beads came about when cheaper materials such as glass allowed everyone to wear beads. As far as glass is concerned, the invention of a molding process produced a perfectly round identical bead. In the late 1800 s Swarovski invented an automatic process for cutting quantities of quality glass beads. Even today, workers are not able to access all parts of the factory so as to guard the secret. Once a bead is shaped, most are tumbled in a large drum to remove the molded seam, or to add different effects depending on the medium added to the beads. Some beads are coated with different finishes, depending on the type of material used for the bead. Color is either a part of the beads natural or synthetic material. Oxides are mixed into glass to give different colors or enamels are used to enhance the colors. Precious metals are also used sometimes, especially on handmade lampwork beads to give them a different effect. Some Precious stones are also dyed or heat treated to enhance their colors. INDIA imported European beads in earlier centuries, but now produces large amounts of well done beads in metal, lampwork and wound glass and wood for a fraction of the cost of Venetian and Czech beads. India has a natural supply of semiprecious stones such as quartz have been traded for centuries and is highly valued. Beaded jewelry plays a large part in Indian life, either worn in precious materials or imitations. MODERN trends In the 19th century, a middle class market for beads developed and there came new materials and techniques such as steel, cast iron, plastics and more. This enabled more people to wear jewelry. At the end of the 19th Century, art nouveau introduced a new breed of beadmakers. Tiffany invented luminous style fumed glass. As people demand more and more diversification in their jewelry and as demand for the "one of a kind" art beads increases more and more artists are producing the handmade American "Art Beads" such as you have seen here. Since each bead is an individual creation and some artists skills are beginning to approach and even in some cases overshadow the skills of the Venetian artists due to technology and the willingness of artists to share their knowledge, the American Art bead reflects an investment in truly wearable "One of a kind" art.
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