New: Make a Wishlist of your Favorite Treasures!
New: Make a Wishlist of your Favorite Treasures!
Our Sturdy and Elegant Sterling Silver Hook and Double Eye Clasps are Back in Stock!
Our Sturdy and Elegant Sterling Silver Clasps are back in stock!
Yay! A free gift with every order!
Yay! A free gift with every order!
Old oval Bohemian glass bead strands, made in the mid - later 1900's for the African trade. Available in 4 sizes. 23 inch strands.
Provenance: Bohemian glass factories, Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic; traded through the African trade routes.
Age: Circa mid-later 1900s
Dimensions: Oval beads available in 4 sizes — Small ovals, approximately 7mm+ hole to hole (length); Medium ovals, approximately 9mm+ hole to hole (length). Large ovals, approximately 11mm+ hole to hole (length). Graduated Oval strands also contain beads of other shapes. Some slight variation on bead sizes in most strands. Strands generally contain 23 inches (58.4 cm) of beads.
Condition: Excellent vintage condition.
History: These beads were made in and around Jablonec nad Nisou (known in German as Gablonz), in the Bohemian region of what is now the Czech Republic — an area that had been a center of glass making since the medieval period, prized for its abundant quartz sand and potash. By the 19th century, Jablonec’s factories had become the largest bead-exporting industry in the world, producing enormous quantities of glass beads specifically for the African and Asian trade markets. Bohemian glass makers sent researchers into the field to study which colors, shapes, and finishes were most valued by different African peoples, then returned home to develop beads to order — a level of market responsiveness that helped Bohemian glass rival, and eventually surpass, the older Venetian bead trade. These particular strands made their way into West Africa through that trade network, where they were worn, traded, and passed down for generations before finding their way back into circulation.
Vintage Bohemian Glass Bead Item 290
We generally ship orders within 48 hours of time of order. We will contact you with any questions, and settle any issues (address, product specifics, etc) before shipping.
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For China and India, and some other regions, we only use UPS, FedEX, or USPS Priority Express Mail International, due to better tracking and reliability of delivery.
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Sometimes shipments take longer than we'd like for arrival at their destination. Please allow adequate time for arrival and use tracking information as available. Need more help? Email us at help@ritaokrent.com and we will do everything possible to help you locate your parcel.
At the Rita Okrent Collection, we want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. Items purchased from the RitaOkrent.com website in sale-able condition can be returned for a full refund - please contact us within 30 days of receipt of the items in your order to indicate that you will be returning item(s) from your purchase via the method below or via email at help@ritaokrent.com.
We also accept partial and full order cancellations for those orders that have not yet been shipped. Please notify us immediately upon your decision to change or cancel your order so we can accommodate your needs (via email: help@ritaokrent.com).
Customers are responsible for return shipping, with insurance, to the Rita Okrent Collection. Please ship your purchase back to us as soon as possible in order to expedite your refund. Your refund will be processed immediately upon return receipt of your purchase.
Please ship your purchases back to:
Rita Okrent Collection
1585 Hillsmont Drive
El Cajon, California 92020
USA
Love these little beads. Fast shipping and friendly service.
Just what I wanted and shipped quickly!
love these great for my designs and you are so kind and caring….favorite shop
So excited to have these again! They really do put a stunning finishing touch on any project!
Excellent quality clasps and the perfect size. My favourite clasps to use in my jewelry designs.
The treasures are as beautiful as the foto you posted.
Thanks!
The items were perfect and beautiful.
Thanks,
Cecilia
Great quality!!!
Love them!!!
These pieces are glowing! They are so beautiful!!! I picture women wearing them in the sun and imagine how they must have gleamed in their hair. The white ornament surely glinted with sunlight! The ornaments must have moved so gracefully in their hair and with the light striking the pieces. I imagine this was an incredible thing to see! I feel like I understand these adornments in ways I never could have, not having seen them in person before.
I truly value the beautiful and unique items I have found at the Rita Okrent Collection. The owner has always been very helpful and kind. I recommend them without hesitation.
Appreciate your kindness and honesty in the way you do business. These beads and all I’ve received from you are top notch. Thank you Denise
Very well made and pretty clasp. Thank you for the free gift.
I was scrolling and came upon an extraordinary, extra-long antique rosary with amazing, large black beads. It was pricey, but I could not resist. When it arrived it was clearly worth every penny. Plus, it is an honor to have something from the Rita Okrent collection, legendary in the bead world. It was packed nicely and shipped fast. I'll be back.
I was so happy to see you had these a gain.They are my favorite. Can not beat the quality.
