Collection: Historic Beads VERONICA HAZZARD

Beads are possibly the first durable form of human self-adornment and I have been fascinated with them for ages. The earliest beads made from shell or bone date back 30,000 years.

Compact and easily transported, beads have been traded for millennia. Egyptian beads have been found in a 2,500-year-old grave in Siberia. Beads from Mesopotamia have been excavated from graves in Celtic Britain and Norway. Roman beads have found their way to Japan. In South East Asia a trade in beads from South India existed more than 2,000 years ago and it is still possible to find these beads, up to 2,000 years old, in the markets.

Modern beads are often mass produced and inexpensive, but in Indonesia beads are still being found that were buried hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. Also, there is an extensive bead culture in which ancient beads still have an important place - in Sumatra; in Borneo where the Dayak place a high value on their heirloom beads, many of which are Venetian dating back to the 16th to 18th century; in Timor; and Sumba, where old mutisalah beads from China and India are still an essential part of their costume.

Today, I collect and reassemble beads from all sources. They do not have to be old but my criteria is to make a necklace which enhances your appearance. Ultimately, I am passionate about old beads. Wearing an old bead forms a link between you and the wearer of the past, a continuity.

Please enjoy browsing Historic Beads. If you have any questions or need more information, please email me at baliqueinfo@gmail.com

I hope you find pieces that you love.

— Veronica Hazzard