Ancient Beads and Necklaces Fashioned from Ancient, Rare and Tribal Beads.
It is now believed that the fashioning of beads dates back as far as 100,000 BC. The most ancient of beads were likely fashioned from found objects with natural perforations, such as shells, seeds and other plant materials. As time passed, early man began to use and alter other materials to form more elaborate beads that met man’s universal desire to adorn himself. Virtually every bead is the product of human hands, often involving long and laborious processes. The romance and fascination with ancient beads is due, in part, to the fact that each bead has a tale to tell. As Peter Francis, Jr. always said, the study of ancient beads is really the study of ancient people–the people who made the beads and traded them, and the people who used and treasured them. In addition to being used for personal adornment, ancient beads were used for trade, as status symbols, talismans and as religious articles. Ancient beads traveled all the ancient trade routes of the world.
Our ancient bead collections feature ancient beads from all across the ancient Silk Trade Route: The ancient Roman Empire, the Mesopotamian and Bactrian cultures of West and Central Asia, the ancient Indus Valley cultures and ancient Burmese and Southeast Asia cultures. Predating these times, we feature ancient beads from Neolithic times and from the ancient Egyptian culture. We also feature beads from the Pre-Columbian Americas.
Most ancient beads traveled far from their original place of origin, making it difficult to assess the exact date and provenance of many ancient beads. However, the authenticity of all of our ancient and antique beads is absolutely guaranteed. All of our ancient beads are in excellent condition, unless otherwise noted.
Our site also features a unique collection of our personally designed ancient bead necklaces. These necklaces are designed for both collectors and appreciators of ancient beads. It is our hope that these necklaces, which join a contemporary sensibility with old and ancient beads from the many cultures of the world, will help us all to recognize the communality of the human appreciation for beauty, meaning and enduring value. It is our intention that they offer timeless and unique adornment to the wearer.
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