Banded Black Beads

Banded Black Beads

Additional Information:

Item Code: SBD_1253

Black beads can be incredibly common or incredibly uncommon, depending on the region you are in. South Asian contexts tend to have more black beads than most places, and Victorian England had a lot of black beads. But they’re virtually nonexistent in certain areas of Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Why? Because in many places, black is the color of death, and not a color to be worn while living.

Historically, black beads were be made of jet, glass, or onyx. Many glass beads appear black, but turn out to be dark blue, green, purple, or even hot pink when you shine a light through them. But there are a sizable number of black glass beads that are in fact black, and they can be either translucent or opaque.