African beads have been a source of exquisite beauty around the world for generations. The primary reason for this can be attributed to Africa’s diverse array of natural resources.

The following are some common types of beads made from materials found in various parts of Africa.

Seed and Nut beads are easy to find and make and are found in nearly all African communities. The seeds provide a wide range of colors and textures. They are easy to manipulate. You can soak seeds overnight to soften them, and then use wire or string to put them together. Nut beads can be used as centerpieces for beadwork.

Shell and bone beads are made from cowry shells to ostrich egg shells. These African beads make fine jewelry pieces. They are usually used to adorn clothing items such as African shirts and give them an authentic look.

Tusk and teeth beads are now rare to find, but they make beautiful white or cream beads, though tusk beads are more fragile than other types of beads.

Stone and metal beads were uncommon in Africa for many centuries due to lack of the proper tools to make them, but once they discovered them, these made the most durable of beads.

Glass and clay beads are two types of African beads that give good quality adornments, and they are easy to use and can be combined to make more brilliant pieces.

Ceramic and bamboo beads are ideal for smooth pieces of beads that come in cool pastel colors. They can be made to decorate household pieces like lampshades and tea cozies.

Bone and horn beads  - Bones have been a common bead material. The Elk rib bones were the first material for the long, tubular beads. Presently, these beads are usually made of water buffalo and bison bones.

Chevron beads - These are special glass beads, formerly made for trade in the New World and the slave trade in Africa by African glassmakers. They are made of many successive layers of colored glass. Original beads which were made for trade to the New World as well as Africa were usually made of green, white, red and blue layers.

Ethnic African beads - These beads are made in West Africa. Some examples include Nigerian and Ghanaian powder glass beads, and Mauritanian Kiffa beads.

Lampwork beads  are made by using a torch to heat a rod of glass. The resulting thread is spun around a metal rod that is covered in bead release. After the base bead is formed, other colors of glass can be added to the surface creating many designs.

Perhaps some of the most beautiful African beads are the Millefiori trade beads. These beads, known for their beautiful flower design, are sought after by collector’s around the world. Because Millefiori beads are all handmade, each and every bead is unique and one of a kind, making these beads extremely collectible.

Millefiori beads have several different names:

• Mosaic beads
  These beads are typically ornate. Mosaic beads are made with colorful fused segments of glass cane ( long drawn rods of glass).
• Love beads
  This name was used mostly during the hippie era in the ’60’s and ’70’s. Very rarely are Millefiori beads called “love beads” today. Perhaps because other African beads have adopted the name of Love Beads.
• Trade beads
  Because Millefiori beads are the most popular form of trade beads, many people simply call them trade beads.

Millefiori beads are created with many layers of vibrant, colorful glass fused together in cross sections and then plastered onto the surface of the bead. The surface of Millefiori beads can have all sorts of designs ranging from abstract patterns, to flowers and faces.

You can buy Millefiori beads here.

Some of the most beautiful bone beads come from Africa. African bone beads are very often dyed using a process known as batik. These Batik bone beads from Africa are beautiful when used in necklaces and even bracelets.

Made in Ghana, Africa, batik bone beads are typically strung on raffia, but you can easily cut and break up strands and use the loose beads in the jewelry you create. African bone beads are also beautiful worn as is, on the raffia string.

They come in all different designs such as star, zebra, striped, traditional, arrow, and many more. These beads typically run for $13 – $40 a strand, depending on the age, design, condition, and availability. You can get your African bone batik beads here.

When researching African beads, you will find that different styles and designs of beads originate and are produced in different parts of Africa.

Krobo beads, also known as powder glass beads, are typically produced by craftsmen and women of Krobo and Ashanti tribes, living in Ghana. Krobo bead making is first documented in the 1920’s, but the practice is believed to be much older. Other bead making practices date to earlier periods.

The beads are made in a particular way. Locally dug clay is used and formed to make molds; each mould holds a single bead. Finely ground glass is then layered into the mould, which is kept upright, to form patterns. The process can be compared to filling a glass jar with coloured sand.

Once the mould is filled, it is fired in a wood burning kiln, also made of local clay. Different glass coarseness, as well as the type of glass used, produces different effects once fired.

Beads can be pierced shortly after production to allow threading, or are produced in halves and fired together for a short time to fuse the two pieces. A glass slurry glaze can be used to decorate the beads. Another process gives beads the appearance of opaque or translucent colouring.

Originally, scrap glass was used to produce the beads, however, particular glass from certain products are often sourced out in modern production. Creativity on behalf of the craftsmen, through the use of new materials and methods, has led to new designs and trends.

Below is the transcription of a Youtube video I enjoyed which talked about African Kazuri beads in Kenya, and how the industry is doing there. The link to the original video is at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

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If there is one thing that women love, it is to be different, to stand out, and to have accessories that place them at the center of attraction. In recent years, the bulk of women’s accessories in Kenya have been beaded necklaces, of all shapes and sizes, colors and designs.

“Kenyans are very fashion conscious, as we know. So whatever is happening in Paris or in New York, they want to be part of it.  We are seeing a trend in certain colors and if you look around, you will see contemporary women wearing those. You’ll see a trend towards layering; layering of clothes, different layers, and that’s also reflected in jewelry, and you’ll see women wearing layered clothes, lots of long chains and jewelry. You see that as well, Kenyan’s wearing that. Big earrings, there’s a trend in that. So yeah, people are very switched on.”

Monda African art shop has grown to backup this fashion craze. Carol, our creative director and a trained designer, knows what fashions become more demanding, and consumers become more demanding and sophisticated by the day.

“I got a scholarship to go to Ghana, to study beads, or to study African art, and while I was there they had a lot of heritage of beadwork: they make beads, they wear beads, so that’s where my interest was peaked.”

Silver, gold, and diamonds may still rule the world, but these humble ethnic tastes are timeless, and carry with them, an African story, a target market, and their culture. And designers are making a living out of it.

Dr. Piety Goes (Kazuri Bead Factory): “We saw that Africa is becoming popular, more popular over the past two decades. The change from the old, traditional gold and silver jewelry to new, innovative, new styles jewelry made by some of the brand names in the world. We at Kazuri believe that we are a brand to reckon with.

Kazuri, which means small and beautiful in Swahili, began in 1979 as a tiny rock shop doing handmade beads. Now, it has become a thriving industry that makes the lives of about 300 women. The motto behind this factory was to create employment for single mothers who were in need for regular employment.

Dr. Piety Goes: “At Kazuri here, we actually look at, on improving on the lifestyles of our women. Our mission is actually to employ single mothers of single parenthood who have no income. At the moment we have about 300+ and you can only improve from there. We started with some two people 35 years ago. We are now 300+ as I said earlier, and we can only improve from there. And yes, we can make a difference in the economy but other stakeholders in other industries also need to play their parts to make the economy vibrant.”

Like it is in several small-scale businesses in Africa, the artistic skills are here to fully transform the craftsmen’s lives due to the informal structure of the market as well as exploitation by middle-men.

Roselyne Egosangwa (Ecosandals Limited): “What we do is just deal with our customers direct, because middlemen always exploit the market.”

With this, and the fact that markets abroad offer better returns, companies like Ecosandals, a Kenyan company, have moved online to get in the international market with their leather sandals.

Roselyne Egosangwa: “The present world is a digital world. That is why we decided to go online cause that’s the only way you can reach the far-end market, like the Western and global.”

The beading industry in Kenya has employed women, especially those from the areas with less privilege. It is a craft that doesn’t require skills.

Female Kenyan beading craftswomen: “I have worked here for a long time, managed to take my children to school, as well as buy a piece of land.”

Like any other business, challenges are there in this industry. From high taxation, competition, and even counterfeits.

Carol Monda (Monda African Art Shop): “One would be high tax on imported beads cause for example, the pound beads or what you call Masai beads are imported from Czechoslavakia or from the Czech Republic as well as from India. There’s taxes on that. Leather is taxed, because it’s bead on leather.”

Dr. Piety Goes: “To begin with, the jewelry that’s imported would cost 20% of the products that we sell ourselves. We still need to be competitive. We need to be creative with our colors and designs to be better than the imitation jewelry.”

Treasured by the communities and adored through the years, the bead as an everyday adornment is threatened. All the players hope that the beading culture be kept alive, as it is not only a business venture, but a story of a rich culture that may be threatened by modernization.

Watch the Video

African love beads, also known as African Christmas beads or peace beads, are small colorful czech-made beads. They are inexpensive, and come in a few different sizes.

Love beads are imported from Ghana, Africa, and symbolize peace and goodwill. Strands measure from 24″ to 48″. These beads are fun to play with. Each strand carries a few hundred beads which can be used for multiple projects, as spacers, or simply worn as is. I must note though, if you wear them as is, it is traditional to wear two or more strands at a time.

African Trade Bead Jewelry is perhaps some of the most fascinating ethnic jewelry out there. Because trade beads carry such a rich and unique history, many having traveled several continents and owned by multiple people over the centuries, people who purchase this jewelry will be wearing a piece of history.

Below is a beautiful piece of African Trade Bead Jewelry created by Shannon Koszyk:

You can click on the photo to enlarge, or you can view her entire online store here. This piece of jewelry was created using Ethiopian beads (brass bicone, I believe). Shannon’s description:

Handmade brass beads, Sterling Silver wire, hook clasp, Jesus and Mary center, coptic cross and finished with a re-cast vintage Mary and Jesus shield.

This beautiful piece is going for $468. If you are on a tight budget, it’s lots of fun to create your own African trade bead jewelry. You can purchase strands or loose African beads from many places on the internet. Simply Google “african beads” or “african trade beads”. My personal favorite shop is TheBeadChest.com. Enjoy and good luck!

People often ask me, “What are the most colorful African beads?” The answer is simple: Mali Wedding Beads. In one strand of these beautiful African wedding beads, you will find beads varying in up to 40 different colors, shapes, and designs.

These handmade beads are said to be given to brides on their wedding days. Most were originally Czech-made, and traded in Africa. They can be up to 100 years old, but are often newer.

Mali Wedding beads make great for beading projects on a tight budget. Although one strand can run between $50 and $100, the diversity that runs in these beads will give you plenty or room to work with. My friend, Suzie, made 16 unique items out of just one strand of these spectacular beads!

These beads most commonly come in a light bulb shape, but also come in tear-drop shape, triangle shape, and others. What have you made using Mali wedding beads? Email me photos of your creations using Mali Wedding beads, and I’ll post them up here with a link to your Etsy store or website!

Friends often ask me why I am so obsessed with African beads. I use them to make all sorts of jewelry, and sometimes just wear them as is. So I figured I’d blog about the top 10 reasons why I invest so much of my time and money in African beads.

1. African beads carry a rich history.
   Many of these beads, including trade beads, have traveled up to 4 continents and can be up to 300 years old.
2. By purchasing African beads, you are supporting working class people in Africa.
   Sure, African beads may be a tad more expensive than Indian or Chinese beads…okay, I lied..they tend to be much more pricey…but when you buy African beads, you are helping to support independent craftsmen in villages all over Africa…so feel good about buying them! You’re helping to put food on people’s tables.
3. African beads are often environmentally friendly.
   For example, Powder Glass Beads are made by crushing used Coca-Cola glass bottles, and re-using the glass to make all sorts of beautiful beads. They are also known as Recycled Glass Beads.
4. African Beads are handmade and unique.
   No two beads come the same, and love is put into every bead that is made. It’s a different feeling when you wear a necklace with beads on it that were made with the human hand, as opposed to a machine in some factory. You feel the love
5. African beads don’t lose value.
   It’s quite amazing actually, but African beads don’t really ever lose value. I’ve been collecting for decades, and every bead I’ve bought has really been an investment. When I used to purchase Trade Beads in the 70’s, they were about 1/3 the price of what they run for today.
   
6. Many African bead stores donate a portion of each sale to Charity.
   It’s true. The African bead market is one you want to be a part of. The Bead Chest, who have an amazing selection of Ethiopian beads, donate a portion of every sale to help Darfur refugees. Kwaze-Kwasa donates 100% of all net profits to help AIDs orphans in Sub Saharan Africa.
7. They’re just plain cool!

So there you, my top 7 reasons why I buy African beads. If you haven’t started playing with these fun little beads, start now and I promise you won’t regret it.

We often receive the question, what exactly are krobo beads? We hear the term oh so often, yet it can sometimes be difficult to find adequate information as to what these beads are on Google or other search engines.

Krobo is a district in Ghana, Africa. So to put it simple, Krobo beads are beads made by the craftsmen and craftswomen of Krobo Often referred to as powder glass beads, these beads are used by natives for all sorts of ritual including birth, marriage, and death.

These amazing handmade beads are typically made in upright molds, which are formed from Ghana clay. Inside the molds, there are slots, each of which hold a single bead. Craftsmen and women fill the molds with a very fine ground glass in different layers to form certain patterns with the colors. The molds are fired up in kilns (also made with locally dug clay).

Krobo beads come in thousands of different colors, shapes, and designs. Because they are handmade in literally hundreds of different locations, it is rare that you will find two strands of Krobo beads alike.

If you are looking to purchase Krobo beads, or would like more information on how they are made, checkout The Bead Chest. They have a beautiful selection, and a more detailed description on how these handmade beads are created by the Krobo craftsmen and craftswomen.