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Ethiopian Red Whitehearts & Silver Necklace
Limited Edition!!
The history of beads dates back to our ancient ancestors of some 40,000 years ago. The earliest known beads were made out of readily available materials such as bone, ivory, teeth, seeds, stone, wood and resins. It's believed the first beads were worn as protection against uncontrollable events and the forces of nature, as well as to show one's status in the community and to enhance beauty. When glass was discovered about 3,400 years ago, it became the material of choice and facilitated trade between peoples.
Trade beads, as we know them, were originally created in Venice, Bohemia and Holland. The history of these trade beads dates back to the end of the fifteenth century when Portuguese trading ships, using beads as ballast for the outbound trip, arrived on the coast of West Africa to exploit its many resources, including gold, slaves, ivory and palm oil. Beads were the major component of the currency exchanged for people and products.
Over the next four hundred years, millions of beads were traded to Africa, and by the nineteenth century, European bead makers were producing a wide variety of designs specifically for the African trade, such as Millefiori (thousand flowers), chevrons, feather, and eye beads.
Red whitehearts are just that: a red outer bead with a white interior or 'heart.' These were apparently found in Ethiopia where they were strung with silver heishi (silver content unknown). You'll see that a lot with African silver; often it's coin silver, or has a high alloy percentage, or conversely, a very high silver content if the silversmith was using the Maria Theresa Taler as their source since that coin had 0.752 Troy oz. of fine silver.
This strand of red whitehearts has small, brilliantly colored beads with clusters of silver heishi scrunched up here and there. Finished with a sterling silver 'J' clasp.
Gift Box Included!!
Length: 19 inches
The history of beads dates back to our ancient ancestors of some 40,000 years ago. The earliest known beads were made out of readily available materials such as bone, ivory, teeth, seeds, stone, wood and resins. It's believed the first beads were worn as protection against uncontrollable events and the forces of nature, as well as to show one's status in the community and to enhance beauty. When glass was discovered about 3,400 years ago, it became the material of choice and facilitated trade between peoples.
Trade beads, as we know them, were originally created in Venice, Bohemia and Holland. The history of these trade beads dates back to the end of the fifteenth century when Portuguese trading ships, using beads as ballast for the outbound trip, arrived on the coast of West Africa to exploit its many resources, including gold, slaves, ivory and palm oil. Beads were the major component of the currency exchanged for people and products.
Over the next four hundred years, millions of beads were traded to Africa, and by the nineteenth century, European bead makers were producing a wide variety of designs specifically for the African trade, such as Millefiori (thousand flowers), chevrons, feather, and eye beads.
Red whitehearts are just that: a red outer bead with a white interior or 'heart.' These were apparently found in Ethiopia where they were strung with silver heishi (silver content unknown). You'll see that a lot with African silver; often it's coin silver, or has a high alloy percentage, or conversely, a very high silver content if the silversmith was using the Maria Theresa Taler as their source since that coin had 0.752 Troy oz. of fine silver.
This strand of red whitehearts has small, brilliantly colored beads with clusters of silver heishi scrunched up here and there. Finished with a sterling silver 'J' clasp.
Gift Box Included!!
Length: 19 inches
$98.00
SKU: EWHS-N101