A bead is a small, decorative item made in many different shapes and sizes from materials like stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl. Each bead has a small hole so it can be threaded or strung. Beads can be as small as less than 1 mm or as large as more than 1 cm in diameter.

Beads are among the oldest types of jewelry. A pair of beads made from Nassarius shells is believed to be the earliest known example, dating back about 100,000 years. Beadwork is the skill of creating items using beads. Beads can be woven together with special thread, strung on thread or flexible wire, or attached to surfaces such as fabric or clay.

Etymology

The word "bead" comes from Old English "gebed," which originally meant "prayer." Over time, the word came to mean small round objects. This change happened because people began using beads to count repeated prayers, such as in Christian prayer ropes like the Pater Noster and rosary.

Types

Beads can be grouped into different categories based on how they are made, the materials used, where they come from, their shapes, and the patterns on them. Some beads, like millefiori and cloisonné beads, belong to more than one category, and these categories are connected in a way that they rely on each other.

Components

Beads can be made from many different materials. The earliest beads were made from natural materials that were gathered, then easily drilled and shaped. As humans learned to work with harder materials, those were added to the list of materials used for making beads.

Beads were used in many different cultures throughout history. Each culture used different materials and made beads in various colors, shapes, and forms. Some beads had meanings or purposes, while others did not.

Today, the most common materials used to make beads are wood, plastic, glass, metal, and stone. Beads are still made from natural materials, both organic (like those from animals or plants) and inorganic (like minerals). Some natural materials now go through extra steps, such as using dyes or irradiation, to change their color or appearance.

Natural organic materials include bone, coral, horn, ivory, seeds (like tagua nuts), animal shells, and wood. For most of human history, pearls were considered the most valuable natural beads because they were rare. However, modern methods for growing pearls have made them more common. Amber and jet are also natural organic materials, but they form through a process called partial fossilization.

Natural inorganic materials include stones, such as gemstones and common minerals, and metals. Only a few precious metals occur in pure forms, but other metals and naturally formed alloys, like electrum, are also used.

The oldest synthetic materials used for making beads are ceramics, such as pottery and glass. Beads were also made from ancient alloys like bronze and brass, but these materials often did not survive well at archaeological sites because they were easily damaged by oxidation.

Today, many types of glass are used for beadmaking. Some have specific names based on their ingredients. For example, lead crystal beads contain a lot of lead oxide, which makes the glass more reflective. Most other glass types are made with formulas and patterns that are tied to how they are manufactured.

Small, colorful plastic beads can be placed on a plastic-backed peg board and then melted together with a clothes iron to create designs. These beads can also be strung into necklaces or woven into keychains. They come in many colors and can be transparent, opaque, glow-in-the-dark, or have glitter inside. Peg boards come in different shapes and patterns.

Plastic toy beads, made by cutting plastic tubes into short pieces, were first created in 1958 by a company in Sweden. These beads, called Indian beads, were originally sewn together to make ribbons. The peg board for creating bead designs was invented in the early 1960s by a man in Sweden as a way to help elderly people. Later, it became a popular toy for children. These designs were often glued to cardboard or Masonite boards and used as trivets. When the beads were made from polyethylene, they could be fused together with a flat iron.

Hama beads are available in three sizes: mini (2 mm), midi (5 mm), and maxi (10 mm). Perler beads come in two sizes: classic (5 mm) and biggie (10 mm). Pyssla beads, sold by IKEA, are only available in one size: 5 mm.

Manufacturing

Modern beads are often made by carving or casting, depending on the material and the look desired. Sometimes, special metalworking or glassworking methods are used, or a mix of techniques and materials, like in cloisonné.

Beads are small, round objects that come in many shapes and sizes. They are made from various materials, such as different colors, textures, patterns, or even rare substances. To string beads together, they must have a hole in the center. Archaeologists discovered 41 beads made from marine shells (Nassarius kraussianus) in Blombos Cave, South Africa. These beads are believed to be about 75,000 years old.

Most glass beads are made by pressing molten glass into molds to create the desired shape and color. This method is also used for many plastic beads.

A smaller group of glass and lead crystal beads is cut into precise, faceted shapes individually. This was once done by hand but is now mostly done with machines.

"Fire-polished" beads are a cheaper option compared to hand-cut glass or crystal. They are made in two steps: first, molten glass is poured into round molds, then the beads are faceted with a grinding wheel. Afterward, the beads are reheated briefly to smooth any surface imperfections.

Some glassworking techniques create unique patterns inside the beads, and these are often named based on the type of glass used.

If molten glass is formed into a large block instead of shaping it as it cools, it can later be carved into smaller items like stone. Alternatively, glass artists may make beads individually by lampworking, with little additional shaping after the glass is properly annealed.

Most of these glass types are forms of fused glass. However, goldstone is made by controlling the conditions of the glass batch, not by fusing separate parts.

Dichroic glass beads have a thin, transparent metal layer between multiple glass layers. Fibre optic glass beads show a shimmering effect along their surface.

Glass canes can be fused together to create colorful patterns, forming beads like millefiori or chevron beads (also called "trade beads"). "Furnace glass" beads have a multicolored core covered by a clear outer layer, which is then hardened in a furnace.

Millefiori beads can also be made by cutting thin slices from narrow canes called murrine. These slices, or "decals," are then fused onto plain glass beads to add patterns.

Shapes

Beads can be made in different shapes, such as round, square, tubular, and oval.

Round beads are the most common type used to make necklaces and bracelets. These beads fit together neatly and look nice when arranged. They can be made from materials like glass, stone, ceramic, metal, or wood.

Square beads are often used as spacers in necklaces to add variety. However, necklaces can also be made entirely of square beads. These types of beads are used in Rosary necklaces and prayer necklaces. Wooden or shell square beads are sometimes used in beachwear.

Long, tubular beads called hair pipe beads were originally made from elk rib bones. Today, they are usually made from bison or water buffalo bones. These beads are popular for making breastplates and chokers by Plains Indians. Black versions of these beads are made from animal horns.

Seed beads are small, round or tube-shaped beads that range in size from less than one millimeter to several millimeters. The term "seed bead" is used for any small bead. These beads are most often used in loom and off-loom bead weaving.

Place or period of origin

Tibetan Dzi beads and Rudraksha beads are used to make rosaries called malas in Buddhism and Hinduism. Magatama are traditional beads used in Japan. In China, cinnabar was often used to make beads. Wampum are round, white or purple beads made from shells of certain clams or snails. Native American tribes in the northeastern United States, like the Wampanoag and Shinnecock, created them. Job's tears are seed beads that are popular among Native American tribes in the southeastern United States. Heishe are beads made from shells or stones by the Kewa Pueblo people in New Mexico.

History

Beads are believed to be one of the first ways people traded with each other. Bead trading is thought to have helped humans develop language. Beads were used and traded by people for most of human history. The oldest beads were discovered in Blombos Cave, South Africa (about 75,000 years old), and Ksar Akil, Lebanon (about 45,000 years old).

Surface patterns

After shaping, glass and crystal beads can have their surface appearance improved by adding a frosted layer, adding a color layer, or both. Aurora Borealis, also called AB, is a surface coating that spreads out light into a rainbow. Other surface coatings include vitrail, moonlight, dorado, satin, star shine, and heliotrope.

Tagua nuts from South America are used instead of ivory because the trade in natural ivory is now limited worldwide.

Magnetic beads

Magnetic materials are helpful in medical care and research. Scientists can attach monoclonal antibodies or DNA to magnetic beads. Sometimes, the beads are covered with streptavidin, which helps them connect exactly to their target. Using an external magnet makes it easier to collect the material for further study.