Chevron Beads! Perfectly imperfect!
Our Chevron beads are made in China, around the 1980s. We did a great big bead haul from a man who had closed his business and had them in storage for a long time. We know that they are definitely pre-2000. The way these beads are made, our best guess is 1980s.
Remember, each bead will be slightly different, as they are hand ground. These beads are NOS (means New Old Stock) and are authentic, handmade ones. The newer beads these days are probably done on machines and all look the same!
Chevron glass beads are made in a similar way to candy, using colours within colours, drawn into a long cane, sectioned off, cut into sizes and formed into beads. Then the edges and rosette effect is made by grinding back parts of the outsides of the beads. Well, that’s it in a nutshell anyway.
Some are made with the threading hole coming through the chevron, whilst some are drilled through the other way (this drilling is done separately after the bead is formed, hence the price difference) so that the rosette is completely on show once the beads are strung.
Here is a link to a wonderful YouTube video demonstrating the method of Chevron beads being made.
Chevron beads were originally created by glass bead makers in Venice & Murano in Italy near the end of the 14th century. The traditional colouring for these beads were in blue, red & white. Sometimes they were called Rosetta beads, or Star beads is another term.
Click here for information from internet about chevron beads.
Quantity per pack: 25 beads
Measurements: 8mm with a 2mm threading hole
Please note: The photos show little circles of light on them, which is from the lamp above them when the photo was taken.
