Jewelry Articles

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.

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. 

Over thousands of years and back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Christians, precious and semi-precious gemstones have been revered for their mystical and spiritual properties. As well as cultural and religious affiliations, they have always also represented the outstanding wealth of their owners.

In more modern times, the connection of particular stones to birth months was formalized in the United States in the early 1900s although assigning astrology to birthstone jewelry was first observed in Poland in the 15th century.

But enough about the cost, let's talk color! Winter is here, which means fashionistas are looking for holiday hues like gorgeous emerald green or spunky Hyacinth red, both of which can be found in Swarovski's huge collection of seasonal colors.

Swarovski's place in the history of beaded jewelry wouldn't be complete without taking a fun look at some of the leading roles these superstar crystals have earned both in movies and on stage - you may be surprised!

The first time Swarovski crystals were featured on the big screen was in the 1932 Marlene Dietrich movie Blonde Venus; the glittering crystals studded both her clothes and her jewelry. Then in 1953, Swarovski decorated the iconic person of none other than Marilyn Monroe in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - those memorably brilliant sparkles that she flashed during her song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" were actually Swarovski crystals.

Okay.  Pink is pink.  Right?  Not according to Swarovski Austrian Crystals: Shades of Pink.  This company, which is the genius of glass and crystal, has 16 shades of pink! 

Their five standard pink colors include Rose Pink, Light Rose Pink, Light Satin Rose Pink, Rosaline, and Fuchsia. These lovely, feminine crystal beads make gorgeous beaded jewelry.  Jewelers often choose Rose Pink as the October birthstone due to its similarity to the pink diamond. It presents an understated, elegant look as a ring or earrings.  The Light Rose Pink makes a pleasing contrast to all the other pinks.  Even lighter than the Light Rose, Rosaline has a light lavender tint and goes well with that color or contrasts with purple. Fuchsia presents a deep rose color with overtones of purple.