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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.

Welcome to our new blog on African Beads! We aspire to be your top source on the internet for information on African Beads. This blog will be updated 2-3 times a week with all sorts of information on African beads, deals on African beads, and interesting historical information on African beads. We hope you enjoy the site!