Roman Glass

These glass disks were found in Afghanistan, and are made from fragments of ancient Roman bowls. I think the colours are amazing.

Bohemian Wedding Beads

"Wedding Beads" were made in the Czech Republic specifically for the African trade in the 1950s and started being exported from Africa to the US and Europe in the 1980s.

These beads come in several different shapes, colors and patterns. One of the most popular shape is the round tear drop. Another attractive shape is the flat tear drop. "Wedding beads" also were made as flat tabular shapes, stylized claw shapes and other varieties.

Egyptian Faience

From Wikipedia.....

Egyptian faience is a sintered-quartz ceramic displaying surface vitrification which creates a bright lustre of various blue-green colours. Since it is not made from clay, it is often not classed as pottery. It is called "Egyptian faience" to distinguish it from faience, the tin glazed pottery associated with Faenza in northern Italy. Egyptian faience, both locally produced and exported from Egypt, occurred widely in the ancient world and is well known from Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean and in northern Europe as far away as Scotland.

source

Terracotta Beads

Ancient Terracotta Beads Mali Fish Net Weights  (19th-20th century)

Ancient clay beads excavated in Mali, Africa. These are incredible and very large beads. They were primarily used as fish net weighs. They were made of buff-colored clay and worn by women as valuable jewelry and are said to have the charm to attract men.

The beads (and photos) are from the collection of Africa Direct. Please have a look at their other pieces.

What is a bead?

"A bead is any object that can be strung to adorn or decorate a person, thing, or place. From early beginnings people have worn beads to proclaim their identity, status, and kinship; to bedazzle others and to please themselves. Beads have been used to tally property, pay for goods, and record events.

Beads invoke protection and well-being. They declare power and wealth. They tell of those who make them, wear them, pray, pledge, love, mourn, and celebrate with them.

Our fundamental human needs have found expression through beads. They reflect the history of Earth’s people and continue to be a part of our lives."

 

The quote above was taken from the website of the The Bead Society of Greater Washington. I want to learn more........

Challenge of Music

I wish to thank Erin Prais-Hintz for creating this very unique challenge - designing jewellery inspired by instrumental music. I have enjoyed listening to this particular tune, which evokes seafaring images for me. And this challenge was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my love of the sea and love of jewellery elements that remind me of the sea. I usually try to clear my head when I work - I rarely have any back ground "noise" of any kind playing when I design. My preference has always been to work in complete silence and not to analyze my motivation while I design. But this challenge forced me to change how I work. So, while I listened to this music, I visualized it as a piece of jewellery.

The beginning of this piece of music takes me immediately to the sea. I find it to be very powerful and motivating. I have an affinity for water and this music very clearly represents an "ocean" to me. Since I am a Canadian familiar with both coasts, I feel that this tune definately represents life in the Atlantic provinces, rather than the Pacific coast.

My necklace is composed of things from the sea, washed up on the maritime shore - after a storm perhaps? - sea glass, stones, old fishing net pieces, mother of pearl, shells, starfish and clam charms, silver coral pieces, driftwood, .........

Hope you like it....