Wedding Globular Trade 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 shapes are the round teardrop. Another attractive shape is the flat teardrop. "Wedding beads" were also made as flat tabular shapes, stylized claw shapes and other varieties. This strand is not intended to be a ready-to-wear necklace. Although the strand can be worn "as is," the raffia holding it together is not durable and may break with use. For this reason, we recommend that you re-string the beads before wearing them. Strand Length: 28 inches (including string/raffia)Bead Size: 10-30 mm diameter. See picture with ruler for size comparison. 147852