Swarovski Crystal Beads History Article

Swarovski Crystal Beads History Article

Swarovski Crystal is one of the most recognized names in crystal in the world. Noted for its unique colors and coatings, and sparkling clarity it’s no wonder it is highly sought after by jewelry collectors everywhere. As with everything though, this particular crystal also has a fascinating history.
February 14, 2022 — Lisa Vella
History of Seed Beads in Beaded Jewelry: Sizes, Shapes, and Uses

History of Seed Beads in Beaded Jewelry: Sizes, Shapes, and Uses

Tracking the history of seed beads in beaded jewelry has been an interesting journey from eighth century Murano to the current day, and it has brought us to the most fun part of all: the sizes, shapes, and uses of seed beads throughout time.
February 14, 2019 — SWCreations Jewelry
The History of Czech Glass Beads in Beaded Jewelry - Part 2: Post-War

The History of Czech Glass Beads in Beaded Jewelry - Part 2: Post-War

In our previous post, we took a look at the origins of the history of Czech glass beads in beaded jewelry; now let's find out about bead-making families and the effects of the two World Wars on the Czech bead industry.

Even though mass production allowed Czech glass beads to be exported around the world, it was still families in villages making beads rather than factories. Families would buy glass molds and the necessary machinery, then produce the beads in their own small homes, which were equipped with tall chimneys and large roof vents - a telltale sign of a bead-making family.

April 10, 2016 — SWCreations Jewelry
The History of Czech Glass Beads in Beaded Jewelry - Part 1: Origin

The History of Czech Glass Beads in Beaded Jewelry - Part 1: Origin

Czech glass beads are considered to be some of the finest in the world. The history of Czech glass beads for use in beaded jewelry takes a few twists and turns, but Bohemian glassmaking is actually centuries old, going back earlier than 400 AD.

North Bohemia, a region in the current Czech Republic, has been the hub of European glassmaking since the 1200s - this is why you sometimes hear Czech glass beads referred to as Bohemian glass beads. Most of the items produced were for rosaries and household use, but this was soon to change. 

March 31, 2016 — SWCreations Jewelry
history of seed beads

History of Seed Beads in Beaded Jewelry - Modern Craftsmanship

When you think about all the work that goes into creating seed beads, it's amazing they're as affordable as they are. Our first post about the history of seed beads in beaded jewelry looked at the way these tiny glass gems were made in Murano, Italy several centuries ago; now let's fast-forward to modern times to see what's changed - and what has stayed the same.
December 21, 2015 — SWCreations Jewelry
The Fascinating History of Seed Beads in Beaded Jewelry

The Fascinating History of Seed Beads in Beaded Jewelry

Did you know that the smallest seed beads are only the size of a grain of sand? Measured as "24 aught", this translates to only 0.91 mm round in size. Just to illustrate how small this actually is, most seed beads are no smaller than 15 aught - 1.3 mm round - and you can fit 25 of them along one inch of string. In bead measurements, the larger the number, the smaller the bead. So how was something so extremely small created before the invention of modern machinery? 
December 19, 2015 — SWCreations Jewelry
History of Murano Venetian Glass Beads

History of Murano Venetian Glass Beads

Anyone who has ever worn a necklace created with Murano glass beads knows that they are some of the loveliest and highest quality beads in the world. In addition to their esthetic qualities, perhaps something else that makes these beads so unique and interesting is the history that they represent.
August 25, 2013 — Lisa Vella
The History of Swarovski Crystal

The History of Swarovski Crystal

Chances are the name Swarovski conjures images of dazzling, brightly-hued stones in your mind’s eye. For nearly 70 years, the Swarovski name has been synonymous with sparkling jewels, but the real story begins long before that. 
April 13, 2013 — Leslie Patrick
Mood Beads Article - What Mood Are You

Mood Beads Article - What Mood Are You

In the 1970s a new and interesting kind of jewelry became one of the biggest fads of the decade to hit the market. It was the first piece of jewelry that could supposedly tell what mood its wearer was in. This piece of jewelry was the mood ring—it was fun, it was fresh, and it was totally cool if you owned one! Today, mood jewelry comes in more than just the original form of mood rings. There are now necklaces, earrings, toe rings, and most recently, beads to become bracelets. Regardless of form, however, mood jewelry has an interesting history.
February 01, 2010 — Lisa Vella