Beadwork/Jewelry Making

Beads were the very first human adornment. Discovered in East Africa, the earliest known bead dates from about 100,000 B.C. Through the ages, beads have been used as religious articles; talismans; tools for trade; emblems of status and success; and as personal expressions of style, emotion and conviction.

Beads may be made from just about anything, including: shell; rock; gem; precious metal; wood, bone; tooth; resin; glass; enamel; plastic; acrylic, and more.

Relatively small in size, a bead may be used as a single adornment, or strung together with others. Beading patterns may be simple or as complicated and varied as the imagination.

Read on to discover more about bead and bead jewelry design; artists; materials; crafting; and historic and contemporary examples of beautiful beads and beading.