Etsy Shop for EurekaEureka

VINTAGE JASPER BEADS Apple Jade Green 9mm pkg6 RB117

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:21:54 -0500

$7.50
Vintage jasper semiprecious stone beads that look exactly like apple jade!
Jade, long considered a precious gem in China has been imitated for centuries. Stones that can be dyed various colors, such as chalcedony , are commonly sold as 'jade' to take advantage of the 'magic name' of jade. Since jade occurs in almost any color you can imagine, detection can often be difficult. Be sure of what you are purchasing!

My husband who is a professional gemologist purchased these in Hong Kong in the early 1970's. They were labeled 'jade' but he did not have the equipment to test the beads at the time of purchase. These beads sat in our inventory labeled 'jade' until a few weeks ago when we found them in a sealed carton in my studio.

We always check to make sure our stones are properly identified. A spot refractometer test showed the refractive index to be 1.54 which corresponds to quartz and is much too low for any form of jade! These beads are in fact jasper but with a GORGEOUS natural coloration and pattern so much like apple jadeite that even my husband was fooled!

These beads have a lovely polish to them, are beautifully round and extremely rare. We've never come across jasper beads like these ever again and I only have a few strands.
Price is for 6 of these unusual beads which we 100% guarantee NOT to be jade, but to be jasper!

You will certainly not find beads like this in your local bead shop .

VINTAGE JAPANESE GLASS BEADS Amber Black Aventurina 9mm pkg 6 1970 GL339

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:05:33 -0500

$6.25
STUNNING vintage Japanese amber glass beads that we found in London during one of our first European buying trips.
We were on Portobello Road which is the antique district and stumbled upon a shop that sold many Japanese glass beads and we were able to buy a number of beautiful beads which I used in numerous designs I did for the Smithsonian.

They are similar in coloration and style to my item no.GL-333 except that those beads have a satin finish. These beads ,while the same lovely amber color, also have the additional detail of gold foil ' drizzled' on the outside!

These beads are one of my favorite color combinations and one which I frequently mixed with black onyx ,tigereye and the abacus shaped palm wood which we had custom cut for us in the Philippines
***( You can find these wooden beads (CB-100) -in my shop under wood beads ***
**Please also check out the black onyx and tigereye which I have listed under gemstone beads in my shop***

** I also have a few West German vintage glass beads which are the same beautiful amber color that you will find in my shop under glass beads and which coordinate beautifully with these Japanese beads! ***

Price is for 6 of these beads which average approximately
9 mm x 8mm and which we 100% guarantee to be vintage lampwork Japanese glass beads. Because they are handmade ,each bead is somewhat different as are the sizes within a mm or so. We will match as best we can, the 6 beads that you purchase. They are a beautiful translucent amber color!

I sold many of these Japanese vintage glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!
You can read more about my background in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS BEADS Aurora Borealis 10mm pkg 4 1950 GL359

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:07:16 -0500

$12.50
Vintage aurora borealis German glass beads that are just spectacular and I'm afraid the photographs don't even do them justice!

They are a clear glass bead and they're unusual in that they are flat circular beads that have a gentle 'twist' or curve to them which I have tried to show in the photographs.

******* If you love this bead, please check out my shop under vintage glass beads as I have similar beads that are in different different colors such as yellow,green and deep blue ****

These are West German vintage glass beads that have an AB iridescent or aurora borealis finish on them.
They are handmade and I've been told that the process to make these beads is extraordinary and very time consuming. After each bead was made, the AB coating was sprinkled on each side separately ,fired and then fired again!

Aurora borealis means northern lights and this coating technique began in 1955.

Price is for 4 of these extraordinary beads which lend an elegance to any piece you make with them. We 100% guarantee these beads to be vintage West German glass beads from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German iridescent aurora borealis glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS RAINBOW Focal 22mm pkg 2 1950 GL164

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:49:22 -0500

$5.50
Vintage German rainbow glass beads from the 1950's.

They're West German pressed glass with an iridescent luster on one facet of each bead and highly translucent.
Because they are handmade,no two are alike but I will do my best to match the 2 you purchase!

These beads are over 40 years old and in very good shape considering their age!

Price is for 2 of these beautiful and unusual beads that measure 7 1/2mm x 22 1/2 mm and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage West German pressed glass.

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE CHINESE RED CINNABAR BEADS 10mm pkg 2 1970 CIN11A

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:36:15 -0500

$6.50
Vintage Chinese red genuine cinnabar beads of superior quality measuring 10mm in diameter and with amazing high relief detailed carving!

We purchased these beads in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips to Asia and I used them in earrings I designed for the Smithsonian Institution's mail order catalog and museum shops.

*** If you love these beads, please check out the other vintage genuine Chinese cinnabar I also have listed in my shop in burnt orange, green, yellow , black and dark brown***

Genuine cinnabar beads are made from a lacquer which is derived from a tree sap found in China. The tree is tapped like a maple and the resulting gum is purified by heating and then made into lacquer by adding a solvent. This resulting lacquer is slowly added in many layers over a wood base.
The lacquer can be colored in various hues including black, red, green, yellow and brown although most people are only aware of the red cinnabar. The lacquer is then carved to represent various symbols or images found in nature such as birds and flowers.

In the case of this bead, many layers of red lacquer have been deposited and then hand carved with intricate details.

Price is for 2 of these gorgeous vintage red cinnabar beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage Chinese cinnabar from the 1970's if not earlier.

****Many of the "cinnabar" beads that you will find at gem shows these days are imitation and made out of plastic so be sure of what you are buying!****

I sold many of these red cinnabar carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE LUCITE BEAD Tigereye Mother of Pearl NUGGET PLASTIC Focal 21mm pkg1 1960 RES223

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:32:51 -0500

$2.50
A vintage lucite bead that looks like a combination of the semiprecious stone tigereye mixed with mother of pearl!

However, it is in fact a lucite bead! I only have 5 left in my studio and each one is a bit different making them even more "realistic" as a stone bead.

Price is for 1 of these 21mm x 20mm beads which I 100% guarantee to be a vintage resin or lucite bead from the 1960's.
It's not perfectly round but is a 'nugget' or large pebble shape as you can see in the photographs!

I sold many such unique resin beads through in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile!

VINTAGE Lucite BEADS Gold Plated Plastic Barrel 13mm pkg 6 1960 RES60

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:28:59 -0500

$3.75
Vintage gold plated lucite beads that are the MOST unusual shape! They almost remind me of " push pins" that you put in a cork board!
**If you like this kind of unusual vintage gold plated bead, please check out my item RES-084 which is in a faceted grid shape!**

These are beads which made me stop in my tracks when I found them over 20 years ago in London! I bought all that the shop owner had at the time as I knew I'd never find them again and I was correct!

They're very light in weight and I used them in both earrings and necklaces when I was designing for the Smithsonian Institution.

These unusual beads were found in a little 'hole in the wall' antique shop on Portobello Road which is in the antique district of London and we were told they are from the 1960's. I found quite a number of interesting vintage beads in that shop from the 1950's and 1960's which are listed in my shop (under resin for the most part) so please have a look!

Price is for 6 of these 10mm x13mm beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1960's.

I sold many of these faceted beads in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's .

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE Czech GLASS BEADS GIVRE Yellow Faceted 10mm pkg2 1950 GL633

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:26:05 -0500

$4.50
Stunning vintage Czech Givre glass beads that are faceted as well! These are crystal clear glass with a beautiful true lemon yellow glass within each bead.

These beads are from the 1950's and in very very good condition! No two are exactly alike but we will do our best to match the 2 that you purchase.

Price is for 2 of these 9mm x 10mm beads which we 100% guarantee to be very old vintage Czech glass beads from the 1950's.

I sold many such vintage glass beads through the Sackler Gallery's museum shop during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Plastic BEADS Magenta Pink 8mm Lucite pkg 6 1960s RES222

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:19:28 -0500

$3.50
Vintage beads that are the most luscious shade of deep magenta pink with a slight iridescent look to them. They're slightky more 'purple' then they appear in the photographs - the picture with the penny is much closer to the true purply/pink color!

This unusual shape is also one that I was always on the look out for when I was collecting vintage beads in the 1970's - 1980's.
These are a pinched round shape with a slight twist - a shape that was most popular in both West German glass and lucite beads in the 1960's. I have a number of stone and glass beads in this shape also in my shop so please check them out if you're interested.

Price is for 6 of these wonderful beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage lucite from the 1960's if not earlier. I have some larger beads in the same color but in a nugget pebble rectangular shape that I will also be listing.

I used these beads in a couple of designs I did for trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Ave. during the 1980's.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE GERMAN Amber GLASS beads Flowers 12mm pkg4 1 960 GL47A

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:15:57 -0500

$4.25
West German vintage amber glass flower beads!

These are the most wonderful beads that I fell in love with when we found them back in 1980 in London during one of our first European buying trips.

They're a real honey amber color!

We found them in a little 'hole in the wall 'antique shop in the antique district where I found so many one of a kind treasures back then.

These beads are a beautiful translucent amber color glass with ruffled edges,a delicate 'crinkled' texture and a gentle curve to the sides so that they look like little tulips. You can also see the beautiful luster on them despite them being over 25 years old!

These beads make wonderful 'spacers' in both bracelets,earrings and necklaces.

Price is for 4 of these unusual West German amber glass beads that I 100% guarantee are vintage beads from at least the late 1970's and perhaps earlier.

I sold many of these vintage glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE AVENTURINE BEADS TWIST OVALS STONE 15mm pkg4 1980 CB248

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:12:25 -0500

$11.50
These vintage hand carved semiprecious stone aventurine beads are unlike any you will find these days ! We purchased these in 1983 when we were in Hong Kong on one of our first buying trips for my jewelry business.
They're so uniquely carved - and in a shape that was very common in the '80's - "oval twists ! You can see the beautiful luster on these beads.

Price is for 4 of these lovely beads which measure approximately 9mm x15mm and we 100% guarantee them to be natural vintage stone .
Because these are a natural material, the colors can vary somewhat but we will do our best to match the 4 that you purchase.

I sold many of these carved aventurine beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see carved beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page and please visit my other shop -newly opened http://ForeverInStyle.etsy.com to see some of my vintage beaded pieces.

VINTAGE CHINESE WHITE Porcelain Clay BEAD Flowers Butterfly FOCAL 25mm pkg 1 1982 POR174

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:36:16 -0500

$6.75
Vintage bright white porcelain clay bead with a few different brightly colored flowers painted on it plus a butterfly!
We purchased a few of these lovely beads in Hong Kong in 1982 and I appear to only have 3 left .
This is a beautiful handmade porcelain bead with a beautiful luster and a very ornately and delicately painted pattern of many colors. I've tried to take pictures from all angles to show you the pattern.

****This would be stunning mixed with white chalcedony and any of the gem quality genuine lapis beads that I also have in my shop ***

I 100% guarantee this to be a handmade 25mm vintage Chinese porcelain clay bead purchased in 1982.

I sold many of these beautiful vintage hand painted porcelain beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE CHINESE TURQUOISE STONE Bead PENDANT 42mm FOCAL Dragon pkg1 1970 CB146

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:53:09 -0500

$28.50
Vintage hand carved Chinese genuine turquoise 42mm x 5mm thick donut shaped focal piece which weighs approximately 13.4 grams.
We purchased this in Hong Kong during one of our first buying trips and were only able to acquire a few such treasures.

This is natural stone and a beautiful shade of turquoise with interesting and subtle variations characteristic of the material. It measures approximately 1 1/2" across so makes a stunning focal piece!
It has delicate high relief carved Chinese letters on one side and a detailed carved serpent on the other side! And as you can see from the photographs it has a center hole for hanging purposes and has a lovely polish.

We 100% guarantee this is a natural vintage untreated turquoise stone pendant from China and from the 1970's if not earlier.

I sold many of these carved pendants through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see carved pendants of this quality nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Bright PINK Lucite BEADS ROSE FLOWERS 8mm pkg10 plastic1960 RES314

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:23:15 -0500

$3.00
Vintage 'carved' bright pink lucite rose flowers that are light as a feather!

***If you love these beads,I have similar beads in bone, brown, and white with bright green edges so please check them out. I also have a 'pine cone' bead as well in this same section! ***

Price is for 10 of these lovely 8mm sweet beads that we 100% guarantee to be vintage West German lucite from the 1960's if not earlier.

I sold many such vintage German lucite beads in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the early to mid 1980's.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE Green Mtorolite STONE Cabochons OVAL 16mm pkg 4 1970 CAB1

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:30:59 -0500

$18.25
Vintage gorgeous green mtorolite stone cabochons from the 1970's. Mtorolite is chalcedony colored green by chromium . The color is 100% natural and is very uniform from stone to stone. Chromium is what makes emeralds green and is also what makes the fine green color of Imperial jade !

Many people in fact mistake Mtorolite for jade but mtorolite is harder and much less expensive.

My husband acquired these cabochons on one if his first buying trips to Africa in the early 1970's. These stones actually come from Zimbabwe which was formerly known as Rhodesia.
These were purchased in a small gem cutting factory in Nairobi and we 100% guarantee them to be natural stone cabochons and vintage. These cabochons were used in designs submitted to the Smithsonian Institution back in the early 1980's.

Price is for 4 of these 16mm x 12mm cabochons which have a beautiful polish as you can see in the photographs!

Please check our profiles to learn more about our jewelry designing backgrounds.

VINTAGE UNAKITE BEADS Coral Green Melon Twist 11mm pkg 4 1982 CB22A

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:28:06 -0500

$9.75
Vintage hand carved unakite stone beads in a round melon twist. The quality of these carved twist round unakite beads is superb with great luster and the characteristic colors of olive green and deep peach.

Unakite is a kind of granite that is unique - being composed entirely of feldspar (peach color) and epidote (green). Unakite is a granitic rock consisting of orthoclase feldspar ( peach color) and epidote (green). . Unakite is named after the locality of its discovery which is the Unaka Mountains in the Blue Ridge area of the eastern United States. It's found in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The material was then shipped to Asia where it was cut and superbly polished.

In 1982 we made one of our very first buying trips to Asia when I was beginning to buy stone beads for the designs I sold to the Smithsonian for their museum shops and catalogs. I was always looking for unusually carved beads which helped set my work apart from other designers.
Back in the 1980's the standards of cutting were superb and as we were able to literally hand pick all the beads, we selected only the best.

***If you love these beautifully hand carved stone beads, please check out my item CB-246 which is the same shape ( a twisted melon ) but in an amazing large focal size -20mm size and CB-247 which is a wonderful carved oval twist!***

I recently found a couple of strands left from this purchase so many years ago. Unakite is very rare to find in such large sizes these days and you certainly won't find it cut in this unusual 'twist melon' shape!

Price is for 4 beads which measure 11mmm and are carved in a 'melon twist' - a shape that was so common back in the 1970's -1980's. Because these are natural stone, the patterns and amount of coral will vary from stone to stone but we will do our best to match the 4 that you purchase.

I sold many of these vintage carved unakite beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE SILVER PLATED BEAD Focal BEAD Metal 26mm pkg1 1980 M45

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:23:14 -0500

$4.25
Vintage large silver plated brass focal bead from the very early 1980's! I purchased a number of them for a couple of designs I did for the Smithsonian museum shops and have perhaps 12 or so left in my studio.

This bead is in EXCELLENT condition as you can see in the photographs and makes a striking focal bead as it measures 26mm by 24mm. It's a bi cone metal bead with 2 halves that have been soldered together and rounded 'ribs' or ridges to create a very nice focal bead.

Price is for this one silver plated bead which we 100% guarantee to be from the 1980's if not earlier.

I sold a number of these large silver plated beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass FLOWER BEADS AQUAMARINE 8mm pkg 4 1950 GL172

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:13:57 -0500

$4.50
Vintage West German pressed glass flower beads that are drilled on the side as opposed to right through the middle of the flower so you get to see the entire flower.
I have shown this in one of the photographs.
**Also if you love this bead, please check out item GL-188 which is the same bead but in a larger size ( pkg of 2 )***
I will also be listing this bead in white shortly so please check back.

I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire a number of these sweet little beads which I used in a number of designs I did for the Smithsonian Institution back in the 1980's.

*** I also have listed a similar flower bead in green with touches of white color as well so please check my shop if you like this aquamarine colored or robin's egg blue bead!***

Price is for 4 of these wonderful West German pressed glass beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these beautiful and sweet beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Japanese GLASS BEAD Amber Knot FOCAL 15mm pkg 1 1950 GL620

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:10:33 -0500

$4.75
Spectacular vintage Japanese lampwork glass bead in a gorgeous shade of amber and in the shape of a twisted knot!
I only have a few of these gorgeous lampwork beads left in my studio and decided to finally part with them.

These beads have always reminded me of little sculptures!

Price is for 1 of these gorgeous focal beads which measure approximately 11mm x 15mm.
We guarantee these beads to be vintage Japanese glass from the 1950's or possibly earlier.

I sold many such vintage Japanese glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the late 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE LUCITE Picasso BEADS MALACHITE GREEN Plastic 10mm pkg10 1960 RES169

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:04:20 -0500

$3.50
I absolutely fell in love with these vintage resin beads when we found them in 1979 in London during one of our very first buying trips there to the antique district on Portobello Road. I'd never seen anything like these before and I purchased all that I could find at the time as I knew I wouldn't be back any time soon!

These beads are a marbleized( Picasso style )mottled resin bead that have shades of bright malachite green in them with occasional spots of ivory.!

***If you love these beads, please check out my item no RES-145 which is a similar bead but in shades of jade green, ambers and ivory***

Price is for 10 of these beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage and purchased in London in 1979 but are most likely from the 1950's -1960's.

They are wonderful when used to make earrings as they are light as a feather because they are made from resin.

I sold many of these lucite or resin beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see resin beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Japanese Lucite BEADS RED BLACK SPLATTER plastic 12mm pkg 10 1950 RES133

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:44:40 -0500

$3.50
Vintage Japanese black and red lucite splatter beads.
I used these beads with another resin bead I have listed in my shop ( RES-001A 30mm x20mm ! ) for a design I did for the 'bridge jewelry ' department of Bloomingdales in the late 1980's. They were combined with black onyx for a very striking effect!
*** Please check out the black onyx beads I have under round gemstone beads if you are interested ****

There are very unique and interesting beads - a deep darkish red with black ' splatter' on each bead!.
Each bead has its own unique color pattern but we will do our best to give you 10 beads that all compliment one another

Price is for 10 of these 12mm beads which we 100% guarantee to be Japanese splatter beads from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage resin beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the late 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS Beads Rose Pink Teardrops 10mm pkg 2 1950 GL632

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:38:02 -0500

$6.25
Rare vintage West German rose pink swirl etched teardrop glass beads!
When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time. This happens to be one my favorite colors and the way these have a matte finish that is then "etched" in a swirled design made them even more interesting to me!

These beads are a beautiful soft shade of raspberry pink -I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.

The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

You certainly will never find beads like this at your local bead shop!

Price is for 2 of these incredible West German etched glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE CHINESE CLOISONNE BEADS Purple Mauve 23mm pkg 2 1970 CL51

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:39:54 -0500

$13.50
Two vintage Chinese cloisonne beads - quite rare and very unusually shaped in a light amethyst color with intricate detail ,turquoise flowers with red centers and green leaves. I thought I had sold all that I had and just found a few more from another later trip we made to Hong Kong during the late 1970's.

**These same beads are also available in black cloisonne and listed in my shop as item no. CL-050.***

Beads like this are no longer available in today's marketplace and you will not find them at your local bead shop or bead show!

We purchased these in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips in the Far East and I've never seen cloisonne this shape and color since then!

***These wonderful cloisonne beads would be beautiful mixed with any of the gemstone cape amethyst beads I also have listed in my shop beads which is what I did when designing for the Smithsonian.****

Please check out my listings for cape amethyst and dark amethyst gemstone beads as well in my shop!

I 100% guarantee these lovely Chinese cloisonne beads to be vintage from the very late 1970's.

Price is for 2 of these beautiful 13mm x 20mm unusually shaped elongated cloisonne beads.

I sold many such cloisonne beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Chinese CLOISONNE BEADS Black Bi Cone FOCAL 23mm pkg2 1970 CL50

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:23:57 -0500

$13.50
Two vintage Chinese cloisonne beads in a rare and very unusual shape! They have a lot of intricate detail and pink turquoise red and green flowers!

Cloisonne beads like this of this quality are no longer available in today's marketplace and you will not find them at your local bead shop or bead show!

We purchased these in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips in the Far East.

I've never seen cloisonne this shape and color since then!

These wonderful cloisonne beads would be beautiful mixed with rose quarts and of course black onyx beads which is what I did when designing for the Smithsonian.

Please check out my listings for both of these gemstone beads as well in my shop!

I 100% guarantee these lovely Chinese cloisonne beads to be vintage from the very late 1970's.

Price is for 2 of these beautiful 13mm x 20mm unusually shaped elongated cloisonne beads.

I sold many such cloisonne beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Chinese CLOISONNE BEADS Black PINK Barrel pkg 2 12mm 1979 CL49

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:17:28 -0500

$8.25
These are two magnificent vintage cloisonne barrel beads that we purchased in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips to the Far East.
The colors are lovely soft pink with hints of green and tuquoise on a black background and the detail is amazing.

They are similar to my item no. CLO-048 which are larger barrels but the same color combination.

I combined these gorgeous focal beads with both rose quartz and black onyx beads like I also have listed in my shop when I did a design for the Smithsonian Institution.

I 100% guarantee these beads to be vintage cloisonne from Hong Kong from 1979!

Price is for two of these exquisite 10mm x12mm beads.

I sold beads like this through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE Chinese CLOISONNE BEADS Black Pink Focal Barrel 20mm pkg 2 1970 CL48

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:02:23 -0500

$12.50
Two vintage Chinese rare black barrel shaped cloisonne beads with intricate detail and pink colored flowers!
Beads like this are no longer available in today's marketplace and you will not find them at your local bead shop or bead show!

They are somewhat similar to my item no.CL-029 but those are white cloisonne barrel beads with red flowers!

We purchased these in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips in the Far East.

I've never seen cloisonne this shape and color since then!

These wonderful cloisonne beads would be beautiful mixed with rose quarts and of course black onyx beads which is what I did when designing for the Smithsonian.

Please check out my listings for both of these gemstone beads as well in my shop!

I 100% guarantee these lovely Chinese cloisonne beads to be vintage from the very late 1970's.

Price is for 2 of these beautiful 13mm x 20mm barrel shaped cloisonne beads.

I sold many such cloisonne beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE CHINESE Lapis Blue CLOISONNE BEADS Raised Gold Barrels 22mm pkg 4 1980 CL37

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:43 -0500

$12.75
Vintage lapis blue Chinese cloisonne beads with raised gold!

These are 4 rich and elegant looking rare and unusually shaped lapis blue cloisonne beads that have beautiful raised red turquoise and green flowers on gold enamel.

These beads are the same as my item no. CLO-033 except that those are white cloisonne.
These are equally as elegant and one of a kind in today's marketplace!

These beads lend themselves beautifully to bracelets and earrings! The detail on them is amazing and like nothing that is made nowadays in China.

We purchased these beads during one of our earliest buying trips to China and I 100% guarantee these beads to be vintage from the early 1980s'.

I sold many such magnificent cloisonne beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Japanese Glass BEADS Light Blue 5mm pkg12 1940 GL741

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:18:11 -0500

$2.50
Sweet little vintage Japanese glass beads from the 1940's that I purchased back in the 1980's from an estate in upstate NY. Each strand came with a little paper tag that said
" Japan" and since I only have a couple of strands left, I decided to part with them.
These beads are in excellent condition for being so old as they were kept well wrapped in folded pieces of paper even before I acquired them.
These beads are a soft blue color and lovely with many of the vintage Chinese porcelain beads that I have listed in my shop.

Price is for 12 of these beads which measure approximately 5mm and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage Japanese glass from the 1940's.

You certainly won't find beads like this at your local bead shop!

VINTAGE German GLASS BEADS FLOWER ORANGE 14mm pkg2 1950 GL721

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:32 -0500

$3.50
Vintage German pressed glass flower beads in a great shade of orange for autumn!
I just found a stash of beads that I've had carefully packed away for years and have listed similar beads in other colors listed as well so please have a look - such as white ( in both round and oval), turquoise, blue, and turquoise and black striped!

The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

Price is for 2 of these 14mm x4.5mm glass flowers beads that we 100% guarantee are vintage German pressed glass from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE JAPANESE Givre GLASS BEADS Teardrops WHITE 13mm pkg 2 1950s GL390

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:14:47 -0500

$5.50
Vintage Japanese lampwork givre glass beads with both clear glass and a white colored opaque glass!

What I loved about these beads was the interesting shape which is rather difficult to describe - they're not really a pear (or teardrop) shape but more of a faceted cone or nugget/pebble bead perhaps. And because these are lampwork beads, no two are exactly but we will do our best to match the 2 that you purchase.

In 1979 we were in London during one of our very first European buying trips. I was always hunting for interesting vintage Japanese glass beads to add interest to the numerous beaded necklaces I was doing for the Smithsonian as well as for my own catalog of designs.

We discovered these beads, like so many others that I have in my shop, in London's antique district on Portobello Road.
I have perhaps 20 or so left of these wonderful beads.

** If you love this look, please check out my item no GL-264 which is a very similar bead but in a much more distinctive teardrop shape and not as ' free flowing' perhaps as these are***

These vintage Japanese glass beads are handmade so the amount of white in the colored swirls varies from bead to bead.
Price is for 2 of these 13mm x12mm vintage Japanese lampwork cone shaped glass beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage and purchased in London in 1979 (but are most likely older.)

I sold many of these vintage Japanese glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage Japanese glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

I was always looking for interesting beads that could be used in many of the designs I did for the various Smithsonian museum shops in the 1980's and I used these in a number of necklace designs that were sold in the Smithsonian's gift shops.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Czech LUCITE BEADS BLACK Flowers Plastic12mm pkg4 1950 RES184

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:02:37 -0500

$3.50
Ornate and lovely vintage Czech lucite black flower beads!

Although black is hard to photograph, I think these photographs show the amazing detail in these vintage lucite beads!

These beads are so light in weight that you almost can't feel them in your hands! They're black lucite from Czechoslovakia and in the shape of flowers with very ornate centers and numerous 'notched' petals.

These beads' 'stems' are where the hole is so that when these beads are strung up, the actual front of the flower with all it's beautiful detail, faces you!

Price is for 4 of these vintage lucite flower beads which we 100% guarantee to be Czech lucite from the 1950's. They're wonderful not just in earrings but especially in bracelets with their 3-D effect!

I sold many such unique and one of a kind vintage lucite beads through trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's when I created jewelry for their "bridge" jewelry departments.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE LUCITE BEADS Yellow ETCHED Flowers 11mm pgk 4 1950 RES126

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:59:57 -0500

$3.25
Unusual ornate vintage plastic beads that we found in London during a buying trip to Europe in the early 1980's.

We found these beads on Portobello Road which is the antique district of London.
These beads are a real LEMON yellow -yellow is a very difficult color to photograph even adding in a yellow light but these pictures are pretty close to the real color.

**I had listed a similar bead a number of months ago and just found these which I thought were the same but are in fact different - with more floral etching and a bit larger.
** I also have a listing for a similar bead that is much larger and a pkg of 1 so please check it out ***

Price is for 4 of these lovely translucent lemon yellow beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the 1950's as so many other wonderful vintage beads I found in London during that trip. They are such an interesting shape - they are almost abacus shaped with a wonderful 'carved' pattern around the sides of each bead as you can see in the photographs!

They are wonderful when used to make earrings as they are light as a feather because they are made from resin! They're also wonderful mixed with some of the West German pressed glass tulip beads I have listed in my shop - even a beautiful translucent lemon yellow color!

I sold many of these resin beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see resin or lucite beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass FLOWER BEADS WHITE 8mm pkg 4 1950 GL612

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:25:46 -0500

$4.50
Vintage West German pressed glass flower beads that are drilled on the side as opposed to right through the middle of the flower!
I have shown this in one of the photographs.
**Also if you love this bead, please check out item GL-173 which is the same bead but in a larger 10mm x5mm size.

I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire a number of these sweet little beads which I used in a number of designs I did for the Smithsonian Institution back in the 1980's.

*** I also have listed a similar flower bead in green with touches of white , as well as a pale aqua color so please check my shop if you like this white glass flower bead!***

Price is for 4 of these wonderful West German pressed glass beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these beautiful and sweet beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Japanese LUCITE BEADS Lime Green 18mm pkg 4 1950 RES239

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:54:40 -0500

$3.75
Vintage Japanese lucite beads that are a wonderful shade of lime green and clear which has been painted on top of the plastic base. They're light as a feather and wonderful for your spring and summer designs which is how I used them back in the 1980's.

Each bead swirled pattern is slightly different as they were hand painted.
Price is for 4 of these unique approximately 18mm x11mm beads which we 100% guarantee to be from the 1950's if not earlier.

I also just found a few other similar beads in a slightly larger size ( 20mm x 13mm -RES-238 )and in 10mm rounds that I will be listing.

I sold many of these vintage glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE German BLUE GLASS BEADS 12mm Teardrop pkg 2 1950 GL707

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:52:10 -0500

$6.75
Rare vintage West German glass beads from the 1950's. They're a soft shade of blue and clear with a satin or matte finish and in an oval shape that is slightly tapered at one end. They're not exactly a ' teardrop' shape but very close to it.

I have similar beads listed ( but in round shapes ) in an amber brown and black and a peridot green and clear in my vintage glass beads section so please have a look if you love these beads!

These vintage West German glass beads are handmade so the amount of blue and clear varies from bead to bead.

Price is for 2 of these approximately 12mm x9mm vintage West German lampwork tapered oval glass beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage and from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE JAPANESE GLASS BEAD Turquoise lampwork 15mm pkg1 GL392

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:17:13 -0500

$4.75
One unique vintage Japanese turquoise lampwork glass bead!
Unfortunately, the photographs really don't do this bead justice - and the turquoise color is really much deeper and richer than it appears in these pictures.

The shape is what attracted me immediately as I was always looking for the unusual focal bead to add to my designs back in the 1980's. It's a triangular bead - it almost looks like it was a round bead and then was pushed in on 3 sides to create this unusual shape!

I was only able to find a handful of these when we were in London back in 1980 on a European buying trip. Although we found this bead in London, it had indeed been imported from Japan. I have exactly 5 left in my studio from what I can tell.

This one handmade bead measures approximately 15mm x 12mm and is a rich turquoise color with some white and specks of silver.

As you can see, the luster on this bead is also gorgeous and it is in excellent condition!
Price is for this 1 bead and we 100% guarantee it to be a vintage Japanese lampwork glass.

I sold many of these Japanese glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE GERMAN CRACKLED GLASS BEADS Green 12mm pkg2 1950 GL489

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:14:49 -0500

$8.25
Vintage German glass beads in a gorgeous two toned rich dark green and clear glass beads from the 1950's.
What I loved about these beads are that they appear to be flat but in fact have a gentle twist to them ( much like the glass leaves I just listed GL-187 )and a great crackled appearance! Because these are handmade, the amount of 'clear glass' can vary from bead to bead but we will match the two beads that you purchase.

***If you love this bead, please check out my item GL-486 which is the same bead but in a lovely soft peach/pink color. I also have other similar beads listed - some with an A/B or aurora borealis iridescent finish so please have a look.**

They were difficult to photograph so that you could really see both the curve and the crackling inside but hopefully you can tell how unique they are from my photographs.

They're translucent but when you hold them up to the light, you can really see this wonderful crackled texture! I was always looking for interesting beads that could be used in many of the designs I did for the various Smithsonian museum shops in the 1980's and I used these in a number of earring designs I did.

Price is for 2 of these 12mm x5.5mm beads which we 100% guarantee to be West German and from the 1950's.

I sold many of these beautiful West German unusual glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS BEADS MOON STARS black 13mm pkg4 GL723

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:11:45 -0500

$4.50
Vintage German black glass beads with an intricate 'etched' pattern on them - another great bead perhaps for Halloween!
I totally forgot that I had purchased these so many years ago although I have had similar beads listed recently.

These black glass beads have a soft matte finish with a deep etching. Each bead has a wonderful design of a moon and stars on BOTH sides.

The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

Price is for 4 of these vintage West German glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage pressed glass from the 1950's.

**If you love the look of this matte black glass, I have round beads that look like these moon and star glass listed in my vintage glass section so please have a look!**

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS Pink Orange 8mm pkg 4 1950 GL626

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:51:33 -0500

$6.25
Vintage West German glass beads in a two toned hot pink and bright orange!
In 1979 we were in London during one of our very first European buying trips. I was always hunting for interesting vintage West German glass beads in unusual colors to add interest to the numerous beaded necklaces I was doing for the Smithsonian as well as for my own catalog of designs. These are a true 'lime green'!

***** If you love these beads, please check out similar beads I have listed in my glass section in different color combinations and in different mm sizes ***

***We discovered these beads, like so many others that I have in my shop, in London's antique district on Portobello Road.

These vintage West German glass beads are handmade so the amount of hot pink and bright orange varies from bead to bead. They have a wonderful satin finish and are very elegant!
Price is for 4 of these 8mm vintage West German lampwork round glass beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage and purchased in London in 1979 but we were told were from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE CHINESE CARVED Bone BEAD FOCAL Stars 23.5mm pkg1 1980 CB150

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:49:38 -0500

$21.50
Vintage hand carved ivory bone bead that we purchased in Hong Kong in 1985 and which has been ' assembled' with 3 separate pieces!

As you can see in the photographs, the bead itself has many dainty little holes carved all around it as well as 'stars' !

The top and bottom of the bead are individual pieces that were added separately and also carved in a spiral pattern. One end of the bead is a slightly darker shade of bone then the other end which gives it a most unique an exotic look.
Please note: This bead has a very 'primitive' feel to it which I have always loved! I've shown the two ends ( with the 2 different colors in the photographs )- the hole on the darker end is slightly bigger than the hole on the other side but this doesn't pose a problem when designing with it .

This bead measures approx. 23.5mm x 19.5mm and we 100% guarantee it to be a vintage hand carved bone bead from China that we purchased in the mid 1980's although it may well be older than this - price is for this one incredible bead!

I sold many such one of a kind carved bone beads from China through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS LEAVES 10.5mm pkg 4 1950 GL623

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:38:50 -0500

$8.25
Vintage German white pressed glass beads that look like leaves! The detail on these beads is extraordinary.

The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

They are in excellent condition and are at least 45 years old . These beads are a pure snowy white and have a slight twist to them which is so characteristic of German beads produced during the 1950's.

These beads measure 10.5mm x 7mm x4mm and price is for 4 of these charming beads. We 100% guarantee them to be vintage German glass from the 1960's.

I sold many such unusual and one of a kind beads in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's .

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE German GLASS BEADS Pink Opalite TWIST 10mm pkg 2 GL547

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:37:23 -0500

$4.25
GORGEOUS vintage German pink opalite glass beads with very pale violet undertones!

**If you love this color, please check out my other vintage West German glass beads as I have beads that are this same color but in a pinched round shape!**

What's very unusual about these beads is the shape - a twisted oval "bi cone"! In all my travels collecting vintage West German glass during the 1980's , I never found this shape except for in these beads and in a opalite white bead which I will also be listing.

These beads are in EXCELLENT condition with a beautiful luster!
These beads would be lovely mixed with the cape amethyst or rose quartz beads that I have in my shop in different mm sizes under gemstone beads and luxury carved beads! Please check these out.

These beads measures approximately 10mmx 9mm and the price is for 2 of these beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the 1950's .

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE German GLASS BEADS Black Diamond 11 x 9mm pkg 2 GL474

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:35:43 -0500

$6.50
Vintage German black pressed glass beads with an ornate diamond pattern.
It's quite hard for me to part with these beads like so many that I collected many years ago, as they are so extraordinary with their high relief texture and beautiful sheen!
Parts of the surface of the bead are shiny and part are more of a satin finish.

The pattern that has been pressed into these gorgeous oval shaped flat beads are a diamond pattern which hopefully you can see in the photographs!

These beads are more of the vintage West German pressed glass that I collected in the 1980's and that is from the 1950's.
These beads each measure approximately 11mmm x9mm x 6mm and are in a somewhat 'flattened' oval shape.
They're a beautiful black glass and in excellent shape!

Price is for 2 of these beads which we 100% guarantee to be West German pressed glass from the 1950's.
The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

You certainly will never find beads like this at your local bead shop!

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE GERMAN Cathedral GLASS BEADS Givre Purple Black 9 x11mm pkg 2 GL635

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:34:49 -0500

$6.50
Stunning German vintage Givre Cathedral beads in a soft muted purple with black 'floating' inside each bead. Although these are indeed very old vintage beads, they have an almost 'contemporary' look because of the pattern of the black glass inside the purple.
There are many variations of Cathedral Beads -sometimes called Window or Window Pane beads and they come in many sizes and different shapes.
There are also many styles of faceting and sometimes the ends of the beads where the hole is may be finished off in different colors, or with different textures.

These beads have polished round circles on the 4 sides- in between these circles is a matte finish on the ' corners' which creates a fabulous elegant bead.
I've tried to take very close up photos to show not just the black within the bead, but also the 2 surfaces.

Price is for 2 of these beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage German Cathedral glass from the 1950's if not earlier.

I sold many such unique and one of a kind vintage German cathedral glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about me in my profile page.

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS Pink White Striped 14mm pkg2 1950 GL490

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:33:40 -0500

$6.75
Vintage pink and white etched German glass beads in a somewhat flat oval shape!

When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time.
I have perhaps 14 or so beads left in my studio. In all the years that I collected West German pressed glass, I never have found another bead that looked like these and for some reason, have always reminded me of hard candy!They have delicate 'etched' diagonal lines on them which create a wonderful texture.

This also happens to be one my favorite colors - a gorgeous soft ' raspberry' pink!
**If you love this color, please also check out my item number GL-478 which is the same luscious shade of pink.

These beads are a beautiful soft shade of raspberry pink with some white. No two beads are alike but we will do our best to match the 2 beads that you purchase.
** Please note that I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.**

The way that this type of bead was made ( pressed glass ) is fascinating! The glass that was going to be used was first heated on a mandrel (rod) in much the same way that lamp work beads are made today.
A 'press' which almost resembled tongs used to cook with, was then wrapped around the molten glass to form the desired shape. Many times, VERY detailed impressions were on the ends of these tongs that were used in these vintage West German ' pressed' glass beads so that the final bead looked almost as if it were 'etched' or 'carved'.

You certainly will never find beads like this at your local bead shop!

Price is for 2 of these incredible West German pressed glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE Japanese GLASS BEAD Lampwork white Amber FOCAL 21mm GL736

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:32:54 -0500

$5.50
Fabulous Japanese vintage bead - the only one I have left in my studio so I decided to part with it.
This is a handmade white glass bead with amber brown and a bit of cinnabar red coloration on the outside and a tiny bit of 'sparkle'. The texture is wonderful!
We found this bead in London back in the 1980's in a little shop on Portobello Road ( the antique district) that sold a lot of vintage Japanese beads - both tensha and glass.

Price is for this one bead which measures approximately 21.5mm by 15mm and which we 100% guarantee to be vintage Japanese glass from the 1980's if not earlier.

You certainly won't find a bead like this at your local bead shop!

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS GREEN Etched GOLD STARS 8mm pkg 6 1950 GL348

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:11:03 -0500

$5.50
Sweet vintage West German glass beads that are DEEP translucent green with wonderful little gold stars etched in them! I used them both in earrings and bracelets.

***If you love the look of these etched gold stars - please check out my item no GL-256 which are 7mm ruby red West German glass beads with the same gold star etched into them!***

Price is for 6 of these dainty West German glass beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage and from the 1950's.

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE PINK Porcelain BEAD Orange Koi Fish FOCAL Clay 21mm pkg1 POR65a

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:18:50 -0500

$5.50
Vintage pink clay porcelain bead with a hand painted orange koi fish on it as well as delicate green seaweed!
My husband found these unique beads in a tiny factory in Taiwan. They were even featured in an article written about me in the Washington Post!

Each bead is approximately 21mm x 20mm and the price is for 1 of these gorgeous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the early 1980's if not earlier, and made in Taiwan.

This bead is a soft pale pink porcelain with gorgeous crimson/orange golfish and gold highlights !No two beads are exactly alike as they were each individually made. There are even little bubbles coming up from the fish's mouth!
**If you love this bead, I frequently have other ' koi fish' vintage porcelain clay beads in my shop so please have a look!**

I sold many of these beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE FACETED LUCITE Clear BEAD FOCAL 18mm pkg 1 1950 RES92

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:27:03 -0500

$1.85
A wonderful crystal clear faceted vintage lucite bead from the 1950's!

This is a faceted lucite bead from the 1950's that I used in a number of necklace designs I did for the 'bridge' jewelry dept. of Bloomingdales in the mid 1980s'.It looks like it would be real glass crystal it is so clear and has such a beautiful surface but it is indeed resin. I will be listing similar beads in smaller sizes soon so please check back.

***If you love this bead, please check out my item no.RES-081 which is the same kind of bead but in an vintage amber resin *****

Price is for 1 of these wonderful LARGE old vintage beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage lucite from the 1950's.

I also sold many of these beautiful beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE CRYSTAL FACETED LUCITE Beads Plastic 16mm pkg 3 1950 RES189

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:11:44 -0500

$4.50
Wonderful vintage crystal clear faceted lucite beads!

These are faceted lucite beads from the 1950's that I used in a number of necklace designs I did for the 'bridge' jewelry dept. of Bloomingdales in the mid 1980s'.

They look like they would be real glass crystal because they are so 'crystal clear' and have such a beautiful surface but they are indeed lucite. I remember the first time I saw them I didn't believe they were lucite until I held them.

I will be listing similar beads in larger sizes soon so please check back.

Price is for 3 of these wonderful old vintage lucite beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage lucite from the 1950's.

I also sold many of these beautiful beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE German PICASSO GLASS BEADS Red 6mm Cube pkg6 1960 GL412

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:50 -0500

$4.50
West German "Picasso" glass beads in the shape of a cube measuring approximately 5.5mm x6mm .

The color is as close to red jasper as you can find and the mottling is in a shade of brown. Because these beads were handmade, no two are alike in terms of the pattern of the mottling but we will do our best to match the 6 that you purchase.

I completely forgot I had purchased these beads and just found them in my studio along with a few other similar ones in different color combinations which I will be listing shortly.

Price is for 6 of these wonderful vintage West German glass beads which we 100% guarantee to be from the 1960's if not earlier. You certainly won't find beads like this anymore - especially at your local neighborhood bead shop!

I sold many of these beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE CARNELIAN BEAD 20mm Chinese FOCAL pkg 1 1980 RB86

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:50:04 -0500

$9.50
One 20mm vintage AAA quality carnelian semiprecious stone bead with amazing high polish and luster as you can see in the photographs!

It was difficult to photograph this bead and not get the reflection of my own face in the bead -that's how beautiful the polish is on this bead! In fact, if you look closely, you can see the camera and the tripod's reflection in the photograph!

This is AAA quality carnelian - carnelian beads that are 20mm are very hard to find these days if at all - 14mm is usually about the largest mm size you can find! Beads of this quality aren't even being cut in the Far East these days - most stone beads are being cut in India where the standards are not those of the Far East back in the 1970's -1980's.

We purchased a handful of these in 1980 while in Hong Kong on a buying trip for the Smithsonian's mail order catalog.

Price is for one 20mm bead and I 100% guarantee this bead to be natural stone and from the 1970's.

I sold many of these gem quality carnelian beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Lucite BEADS yellow black filigree plastic 14mm pkg 6 1950 RES2

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:07:29 -0500

$4.50
These sweet vintage lucite beads were purchased in London during 1985 when we were there on a buying trip however they are from the 1950's. We purchased them on Portobello Road which is the antique district. They have a very ornate black filigree design on them as you can see and I've never found anything like them since that buying trip over 20 years ago!

Price is for 6 of these 14mm x 8mm beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's.

They are wonderful when used to make earrings as they are light as a feather because they are made from resin -they look great when mixed with black onyx!

I sold many of these resin beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE AVENTURINE STONE BEAD Ornate FOCAL 40mm pkg1 1970 CB198

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:00:17 -0500

$32.50
Vintage ornately carved aventurine stone bead. This bead is a rare natural genuine DARK green aventurine specimen that we purchased during one of our first buying trips to China in the late 1970's!

**The reason this exquisite bead is such a gorgeous deep shade of green is because of the amount of chrome mica in the raw material from which this bead was cut!

This gorgeous bead almost looks like carved jade it's so elegant looking!

***Chrome mica is what makes aventurine green because the host material is colorless quartz! I only have about 5 of these magnificent beads left in my studio.**

It's virtually impossible to find aventurine this color these days - and you will never find a bead like this !

This bead is a long 40mm x 16mm cylindrical bead (or barrel bead) and the carving is high relief with amazing detail!

This bead is approximately 1 1/2" long!
This would be an amazing focal bead!

I 100% guarantee this carved aventurine barrel bead to be vintage and natural stone from the 1970's.

I sold many of these carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

RESERVED FOR kitkatcrackerjack VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS FLOWER BEADS Blue Black 15 x11mm pkg 14 GL731

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:48 -0500

$24.75
**This is a RESERVE listing. Please do not purchase unless you are kitkatcrackerjack **
Vintage German deep teal and black striped glass flower beads - perfect for the upcoming holidays!
These are beautiful rare striped West German glass flower beads that are from the 1950's! I was always looking for unique and one of a kind beads when I was designing for Bloomingdales in the mid 1980's - especially flowers!
**If you love the look of this bead, I have the same bead listed but in a solid dark turquoise color ( GL732) and also in a snowy white (GL727) so please have a look!**

Each bead measures approximately 15mm x 11mm x 4mm and price is for 14 of these gorgeous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage West German glass.

These beads would be beautiful as earrings or in bracelets.

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE German Glass BEADS Robin Egg BLUE Teardrop 10mm pkg 4 1950 GL740

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:27:11 -0500

$6.25
Vintage German robin's egg blue glass teardrop beads from the 1950's. When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time. (I will also be listing the same bead in a soft medium sapphire blue color and with a mother of pearl finish - GL-739 )

These beads are beautiful shade of robin's egg blue - I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.

Price is for 4 of these West German glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's. They measure 10mm x 9mm x6mm and are domed on one side and 'flat' on the other with a slight concave which adds to their interest. I've tried to show this in the photos.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE Venetian MILLEFIORI Glass BEADS Turquoise White 8.5mm Pkg 6 GL738

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:49:56 -0500

$3.50
Vintage Venetian millefiori glass beads like none you've probably ever seen before - certainly not in your local bead shop!
These vintage beads were each handmade in Italy and no two are alike! They have a somewhat 'primitive' look to them which always intrigued me.

Please note: These beads DO have a smooth surface with a lovely sheen - the tiny 'holes' that you see are because I take SUCH close up photographs but are NOT visible when you look at the beads in your hand.

These beads are a turquoise blue and white bead with what looks like eyeballs on them! I only have a small number of these beads left.
**If you love the look of this bead, I have similar beads listed in aqua and white, pumpkin orange and white, and white and black so please check them out!***

'Millifiori' literally means “thousand flowers”. To make such beads, thin rods of different colors of glass are bundled together, with the ends of the rods forming a design, such as flowers. The bundle is fused together, then cross section slices are cut off, jelly-roll fashion. These slices are applied and melted over a glass core. The resulting bead has a three dimensional look filled with flowers or other patterns.

These beads are approximately 8mm - 8.5mm and price is for 6 of these fabulous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage Italian venetian millefiori glass.
I'll be listing some other beads like this that we found while unpacking a huge box in our studio.

I sold many types of millifiori glass beads through the trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's.
You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page.

VINTAGE Venetian MILLEFIORI Glass BEADS Aqua White 8.5mm Pkg 6 GL737

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:49:11 -0500

$3.50
Vintage Venetian millefiori glass beads like none you've ever seen before - certainly not in your local bead shop!
These vintage beads were each handmade in Italy and no two are alike! They have a somewhat 'primitive' look to them which always intrigued me.

Please note: These beads DO have a smooth surface with a lovely sheen - the tiny 'holes' that you see are because I take SUCH close up photographs but are NOT visible when you look at the beads in your hand.

These beads are a soft aqua with white two toned bead with what looks like eyeballs on them!
I only have a small number of these beads left.
**Please note that if you love this bead, I have the same type of bead listed in a real pumpkin orange with white , and black,a striking black and white one, and a blue and white one so please check them out as well*****

'Millifiori' literally means “thousand flowers”. To make such beads, thin rods of different colors of glass are bundled together, with the ends of the rods forming a design, such as flowers. The bundle is fused together, then cross section slices are cut off, jelly-roll fashion. These slices are applied and melted over a glass core. The resulting bead has a three dimensional look filled with flowers or other patterns.

These beads are approximately 8mm - 8.5mm and price is for 6 of these fabulous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage Italian venetian millefiori glass.
I'll be listing some other beads like this that we found while unpacking a huge box in our studio.

I sold many types of millifiori glass beads through the trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's.
You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page.

VINTAGE Chinese Porcelain CLAY BEADS WHITE BLUE STRIPES 15mm pkg 4 1980 POR71

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:46:28 -0500

$6.50
Vintage and unusual blue and white striped porcelain clay beads that are truly one of a kind ! We purchased these in Hong Kong in the early 1980's when I was designing for the Smithsonian Institution.

I 100% guarantee these lovely and very unique beads to be vintage from the mid 1980's and from China.
Price is for 4 of these wonderful " rice" shaped beads.

I sold many of these porcelain beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE GENUINE IVORY BEAD Focal Knot 16mm pkg1 CB90A

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:56:01 -0500

$24.50
Vintage and exquisitely carved genuine rare ivory "knot" bead that we purchased in Hong Kong in 1984.
The carving is of exceptional quality and these beads would make stunning focal beads. You can see how high relief the carving is in fact from all the photographs.

****************************************************
PLEASE NOTE: We currently are only shipping ivory items within the United States. See below for more information
*******************************************************

Price is for these 1 genuine 16mm ivory knot bead and we 100% guarantee this to be pre ban ivory. We have the documentation to prove this as well ( please read below for additional info.)

I sold carved ivory beads such as these through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period. You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!
************************************************************
"In 1989, the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
( CITES ) banned the international trade in African elephant ivory. Such trade in Asian elephant ivory has been banned by CITES since 1975."
This quotation is from a report released by the Humane Society of the United States in October of 2002.

Many people sell ivory today and many state that it is
" pre ban" ivory.
I feel as a seller on Etsy , that it is my responsibility to let you know exactly what " pre ban ivory" means and also to assure you that any ivory beads I sell in my shop, were purchased before this ban. To reiterate,we have the documentation to prove this.

**PLEASE NOTE:
CITES banned the sale of ASIAN elephant ivory as early as 1975. Despite the fact that it was legal to trade in AFRICAN ivory until 1989 ( and our items were purchased in 1984 ) Customs officials seem to be currently prohibiting entry of ALL ivory products regardless of origin unless accompanied by an export license which validates acquisition prior to 1973. We regret that we cannot ship outside the U.S. for this reason***

VINTAGE Green AVENTURINE SPACER BEADS 10mm pkg6 1982 CB210

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:26:53 -0500

$6.50
These are natural aventurine spacer beads that we had custom cut for us in Hong Kong for a design I was doing for the Smithsonian's museum shops.
These are hand carved natural aventurine stone beads.

Chrome mica is what makes aventurine green because the host material is colorless quartz -and as you can see from the photographs, these beads are a wonderful shade of green.
You will not find beads like this these days at your local bead shop or neighborhood gem show!

Price is for 6 of these aventurine spacers and we 100% guarantee them to be natural stone vintage beads that were custom cut for us in Hong Kong in 1982.

I sold many of these natural aventurine carved spacer beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE AVENTURINE Green Spacer beads 5mm pkg12 1984 CB197

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:18:42 -0500

$3.00
Sweet little vintage carved aventurine 'spacer' beads that are great for earrings or even bracelets!

We purchased these in Hong Kong during a buying trip back in the mid 1980's.

These are a soft green color characteristic of the material. These wonderful little beads are natural top quality aventurine - the color comes from chrome mica which has been deposited in clear quartz which is the host material to create this wonderful shade of green.

Price is for 12 of these genuine vintage aventurine beads and we 100% guarantee these beads to be natural vintage aventurine spacer or rondelle stone beads from China.

I sold many of these natural aventurine beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE BRASS Beads Etched METAL 11mm pkg6 1970 M27A

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:05:21 -0500

$4.50
Amazing 11mm vintage raw brass beads that we found over 25 years ago at an outdoor market in Ventimiglia , Italy while on our way to Nice, France in 1980. I was always looking for interesting beads with LOTS of texture to incorporate into the beaded necklaces I was designing for the Smithsonian.

These beads have a graceful 'lip' around each hole and a lot of 'cross hatching' as the design which is was drew me to them right away. I don't know their origin but I do know that I've never seen beads like this since finding them so many years ago.

These are 11mm raw brass beads and although I've had them for over 25 years ( and they are most likely well over 30 years old ) there is only a bit of patina on some of the beads as you can see in the pictures. We will do our best to match the 6 beads that you purchase as some are more oxidized than others.

Although these are metal beads -they're light as a feather and wonderful in everything from bracelets to earrings.
I used these in a number of earring and necklace designs I did for Bloomingdales in the early 1980's.

Price is for 6 of these 11mm beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the late 1970's if not much earlier.

I sold many of these brass beads in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's .

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE CHINESE YELLOW CINNABAR BEADS 16mm pkg 2 1979 CIN5A

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:55:41 -0500

$8.75
Vintage Chinese genuine yellow cinnabar beads of superior quality measuring 16mmm in diameter. We purchased them in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips to the Far East.

You can see from all the photographs that the carving is exquisite with a lot of high relief to it and great detail.

Genuine cinnabar beads are made from a lacquer which is derived from a tree sap found in China. The tree is tapped like a maple and the resulting gum is purified by heating and then made into lacquer by adding a solvent. This resulting lacquer is slowly added in many layers over a wood base.
The lacquer can be colored in various hues including black, red, green, yellow and brown although most people are only aware of the red cinnabar. The lacquer is then carved to represent various symbols or images found in nature such as birds and flowers.

In the case of these beads, many layers of yellow lacquer have been deposited upon red lacquer and then hand carved with intricate designs.

Price is for 2 of these gorgeous vintage yellow cinnabar beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage lacquerware from China and purchased in 1979.

****Many of the "cinnabar" beads that you will find at gem shows these days are imitation and made out of plastic so be sure of what you are buying!****

I sold many of these yellow cinnabar carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Green CINNABAR BEADS Chinese Red 16mm pkg 2 1970 CIN8A

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:53:59 -0500

$8.75
Vintage superior quality genuine green cinnabar beads measuring 16mmm in diameter. We purchased them in Hong Kong in 1979 during one of our very first buying trips to Asia.

You can see from all the photographs that the carving is exquisite with a lot of high relief to it and great detail.

Genuine cinnabar beads are made from a lacquer which is derived from a tree sap found in China. The tree is tapped like a maple and the resulting gum is purified by heating and then made into lacquer by adding a solvent. This resulting lacquer is slowly added in many layers over a wood base.
The lacquer can be colored in various hues including black, red, green, yellow and brown although most people are only aware of the red cinnabar. The lacquer is then carved to represent various symbols or images found in nature such as birds and flowers.

In the case of these beads, many layers of green lacquer have been deposited upon red lacquer and then hand carved with intricate designs.

Price is for 2 of these gorgeous vintage green cinnabar beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage lacquerware from China and purchased in 1979.

These beads are gorgeous when combined with the genuine jade beads I also have listed in my shop in different mm sizes. Please check them out.

****Many of the "cinnabar" beads that you will find at gem shows these days are imitation and made out of plastic so be sure of what you are buying!****

I sold many of these green cinnabar carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE German Glass BEADS Blue Mother of Pearl Teardrop 10mm 1950 pkg4 GL739

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:57:45 -0500

$6.25
Vintage German blue glass teardrop beads with a mother of pearl look to them!
When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time. I will also be listing the same bead in a robin's egg blue color ( but not with a mother of pearl finish)

These beads are beautiful shade of sapphire blue - I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.

Price is for 4 of these West German glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's. They measure 10mm x 9mm x6mm and are domed on one side and 'flat' on the other with a slight concave which adds to their interest. I've tried to show this in the photos.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE GERMAN PEARL Glass BEADS Aqua 8mm pkg6 1950 GL604

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:40:03 -0500

$5.50
Vintage powder blue iridescent pearl German glass beads!

These vintage beads are so lovely with their soft powder blue iridescent color and their unique shape - a round flat disk with a slight curve and a gentle indentation in the middle.
They almost have a silvery cast to them as well.

Price is for 6 of these vintage West German glass beads which measure approximately 8mm x4mm and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage German glass from the 1950's if not earlier.

I sold many such West German glass beads such as these through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Amber Brown GLASS BEADS BI CONES 8mm pkg4 1950 GL277

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:38:42 -0500

$4.25
Vintage German amber brown bi cone glass beads that have a satin finish and are somewhat translucent as you can see in the photographs.

***** I will be listing other beads soon that are the same glass but in a teardrop shape so please check back *****

These are West German opaque West German amber colored bi cones beads in wonderful condition. I combined them with black onyx and tigereye for a design I did for the Smithsonian's mail order catalog and museum shops.

You can find both gem quality tigerye and top grade black onyx round beads ( and carved beads in each of these stones) in my shop as well so please have a look.

Price is for 4 of these beautiful 8mm x7mm bi cone vintage glass beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage West German glass from the 1950's.

I sold many of these beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE Brass METAL BEADS TEARDROP Ribbed 15mm pkg 4 1960 M29

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:03:45 -0500

$3.75
Vintage raw brass teardrop shaped metal beads that are quite unique! I used in a number of earring designs in the mid 1980's.
I was always looking for interesting metal components that I could add to the necklaces or use in earrings that I designed for trunk shows at Bloomingdales. These beads, although over 40 years old, are still in very good shape with very little patina at all as you can see in the pictures.

******* If you love this bead, please check out my item no M-05 which is a similar bead but in a larger 18mm round size and M-027 which is an 11mm round ! ***

Price is for 4 of these beads which each measure 15mm x11mm and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage ribbed brass from the 1960's.

I sold many of these unique corrugated brass beads during the 1980's - they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE CARVED ROSE QUARTZ BEADS KNOT FOCAL 14mm pkg2 1980 CB130A

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:23:53 -0500

$18.50
Vintage and an amazing shape for a carved rose quartz bead! These beads are highly translucent and have a beautiful high polish.
I thought I had sold all that I had in my studio, but we just found a few more that we were so fortunate to be able to purchase a couple years later on a return trip!

This shape is a carved "knot" and you will not find this at all these days anywhere - especially at your local gem show!
These beads would be beautiful with some of the vintage porcelain beads I also have in my shop and is a stunning focal bead.

***If you love these beads,please check out my item no.CB-39A which is the same bead but in a 20mm size.**

We bought these beads in 1986 when I was designing for the Sackler Gallery ( part of the Smithsonian Institution).

This rose quartz is top quality as is the carving!

Price is for 2 gorgeous 14mm beads and I 100% guarantee these to be natural stone and vintage.

I sold many of these rose quartz carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass Beads Bronze Copper 10mm pkg 4 1960 GL331

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:22:21 -0500

$6.25
These vintage West German glass beads are the most luscious bronze metallic color which almost look iridescent in certain lights!

I found that I was able to combine this rich and elegant looking vintage bead with many of the other West German glass I have for very elegant and dressy looking earrings - They were particularly stunning when mixed with my item GL-029A which are also a West German vintage metallic bronze glass bead!

I also combined them with the beautiful wood lace agate round beads that I have in my shop for a very elegant look.
*** Please check out the listing for wood lace agate beads under gemstone beads if you are interested.***

These are glass beads that have a metallic bronze coating on them which has a very subtle but interesting design imprinted on them as you can see in the photographs.

Price is for 4 of these 10mm beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage West German glass from the 1960's.

I sold these gorgeous West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE SNOWFLAKE OBSIDIAN BEAD 20mm FOCAL Stone pkg1 1980 RB113

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:18:40 -0500

$7.50
Vintage snowflake obsidian focal bead with a gorgeous sheen.
Snowflake obsidian comes primarily from Mexico and is sometimes found in Utah in the U.S.
There are really no other major localities so it is a somewhat rare and scarce stone.

Snowflake obsidian is a black volcanic glass formed when molten lava cooled quickly. The whitish/grey 'spots' are balls of radiating needle shaped crystals of cristobalite
(high temperature quartz).

In 1983, we were in Hong Kong during an early buying trip and I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a few strands of top quality 20mm snowflake obsidian for a design I was doing for the Chicago Art Institute. It is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find round snowflake obsidian beads in this large 20mm size these days and certainly not of this quality!

Because this is a natural material, the pattern will of course vary somewhat from bead to bead but the luster and cut ( perfectly round ) is evident in all these photographs.

Price is for this one beautiful 20mm bead which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the early 1980's and that was produced in Hong Kong over 25 yrs. ago -at a time when the bead market was oriented toward very high quality ,unusual and unique materials.

Standards of cutting 25 yrs ago were much higher than now even for " plain round stone beads" and there is a difference in the quality of beads produced today in terms of roundness and polish if you know what to look for .

In general, today's market does not have such exacting standards of quality and many beads are being cut in India where the labor is cheaper than Hong Kong.

You may end up purchasing beads where the holes are not evenly drilled, the beads are not perfectly round, or the polish is uneven or dull!

I sold many of these snowflake obsidian beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass Beads BLUE FOCAL Bi Cone 18mm pkg2 1950 GL465

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:58:06 -0500

$6.25
Vintage West German blue and white striped glass beads in a great flat bi cone shape and with a wonderful sheen as you can see in the photos!

I fell in love with them when I first spotted them so many years ago! They're a beautiful shade of blue mixed with white and are a large flattened bi cone shape. A wonderful focal bead! You can see that the sheen is lovely as well! Mixed with white chalcedony or lapis they're quite striking.

Price is for 2 of West German pressed glass beads which each measure approximately 18mm x 8mm x 4mm and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage West German beads from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE Venetian MILLEFIORI Glass BEADS Orange Black 8.5mm Pkg 6 GL722

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:59:31 -0500

$3.50
Vintage Venetian millefiori glass beads perfect for Halloween!
These vintage beads were each handmade in Italy and no two are alike! They have a somewhat 'primitive' look to them which always intrigued me.

Please note: These beads DO have a smooth surface with a lovely sheen - the tiny 'holes' that you see are because I take SUCH close up photographs but are NOT visible when you look at the beads in your hand.

These beads are a "burnt orange" color with what looks like eyeballs on them! I've always thought they were perfect for Halloween which is why I decided to list them now.
I only have a small number of these beads left.

'Millifiori' literally means “thousand flowers”. To make such beads, thin rods of different colors of glass are bundled together, with the ends of the rods forming a design, such as flowers. The bundle is fused together, then cross section slices are cut off, jelly-roll fashion. These slices are applied and melted over a glass core. The resulting bead has a three dimensional look filled with flowers or other patterns.

These beads are approximately 8mm - 8.5mm and price is for 6 of these fabulous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage Italian venetian millefiori glass.
I'll be listing some other beads like this that we found while unpacking a huge box in our studio.

I sold many types of millifiori glass beads through the trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the 1980's.
You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page.

VINTAGE Metal BEADS Brushed Brass Spacers 8mm pkg8 1960 M61

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:53:51 -0500

$4.50
Vintage brushed brass metal beads that I just found in a box in my studio from a trip to London during the mid 1980's.
These are solid brass with a brushed surface - very funky looking -a sleek and contemporary look although we were told that they were made in the 1960's .

Each bead measures 8mm by 4mm wide and price is for 8 of these versatile beads which are wonderful when used as spacers.
You certainly won't find beads like this at your local bead shop.

VINTAGE GERMAN Emerald Green GLASS BEADS Teardrop Swirl Etched 12mm x9mm x7mm pkg 2 1950s GL-318

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:12:15 -0500

$6.25
Vintage luscious emerald green German glass teardrop beads.
When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time. This happens to be my favorite color and the way these have a satin finish that is then etched in a swirled design made them even more interesting to me!

*** I have the same bead listed in a smaller size if you love this amazing bead - the smaller bead is listed as GL-287 and is 9mm x7mm x7mm ****

These beads are an emerald green (perhaps not quite a 'blue' as they may appear in these photographs). I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.

Price is for 2 of these incredible West German etched glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass BEADS Emerald Green Etched 9mm TEARDROPS pkg 4 1950 GL287

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:16:11 -0500

$8.75
Vintage German emerald green etched teardrop beads!
When I found these beads I had to buy all that I could find at the time. This happens to be my favorite color and the way these have a satin finish that is then etched in a swirled design made them even more interesting to me!

These beads are an emerald green (perhaps not quite a 'blue' as they may appear in these photographs). I have a number of vintage Chinese porcelain beads listed in my shop that are lovely with these vintage glass beads.

**Please note: If you love these beads, check out my item GL-318 which is the same bead but in a larger size ( 12mm x9mm ) and pkg of 2 ***

Price is for 4 of these incredible West German etched glass beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1950's.

I sold many of these vintage West German glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see vintage West German glass beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

Please check my profile page for my about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE GERMAN Glass Beads Gray BLUE TWIST 14mm pkg2 1950 GL468

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:12:21 -0500

$5.25
These are two beautiful vintage West German glass beads in one of the shapes that was so popular back in the 1950's when these were made - they're an oval twist with BEAUTIFUL clarity as you can see in the photographs!

I combined these beads with natural grey chalcedony for an earring I designed for the Sackler Gallery in the mid 1980's.
These vintage beads are in excellent condition with a beautiful luster as you can see in the photographs and each bead measures 14mm x8mm.

Price is for 2 of these vintage beads which we 100% guarantee to be West German and from the 1950's.

I sold many of these beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer

VINTAGE SNOWFLAKE OBSIDIAN BEAD Carved BARREL Focal 25mm pkg1 CB258

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:09:13 -0500

$8.50
A beautiful example of a vintage snowflake obsidian natural stone bead that was carved into a very unusual shape of a barrel with ridges! This was a shape very common in Asia in the 1970's - 1980's and which I have in other gemstone beads including rose quartz.
Snowflake obsidian is a variety of obsidian which is volcanic glass!

The luster is beautiful on this bead as is the quality which is AAA! In fact, the luster and sheen is so high that it was difficult to photograph this bead and not get the reflection of the camera in the bead itself!

We purchased a handful of these gorgeous beads in Hong Kong back in the mid 1980's for a design I was doing for the Smithsonian's mail order catalog.

I sold many of these carved beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE LUCITE MINIATURE PINE CONE BEADS Plastic 10mm pkg 8 1960 RES3

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:37:35 -0500

$3.50
Vintage plastic pine cone beads from London!

These unusual one of a kind beads were purchased in London during 1985 when we were there on a buying trip. As you can see, they look like little pine cones!

I've never come across anything like these since we were in London.
We found these vintage beads and so many others in a little 'hole in the wall' antique shop on Portobello Road which is in the antique district

Price is for 8 of these 10mm beads and I 100% guarantee them to be vintage from at least the 1980's but most likely from the 1960's.

They are wonderful when used to make earrings as they are light as a feather because they are made from resin!

I sold many of these resin beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see resin or lucite beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS BEADS Purple Oval Etched 18 x 9mm pkg 2 GL734

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:12:23 -0500

$4.50
Vintage German plum purple glass beads that have always reminded me of 'leaves'- perfect for the upcoming holidays!

These are beautiful two toned plum purple color West German glass beads that are from the 1950's! I was always looking for unique and one of a kind beads when I was designing for Bloomingdales in the mid 1980's - especially flowers! There are deeply etched diagonal stripes on them for wonderful detail and texture!

Each bead measures approximately 18mm x 9mm x 4mm and price is for 2 of these gorgeous beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage West German glass.

These beads would be beautiful as earrings or in bracelets.

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile

VINTAGE BRASS TEA STRAINER BEAD FOCAL 32mm pkg1 1960 M35

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:46:56 -0500

$6.50
A very large ( 32mm ) vintage raw brass metal 'tea strainer' that even had a ring at the top ( removable ) should you want to use it as is! This is simply an amazing bead! There are no other words to describe it!

*** If you love this bead, please check out my item M-033 which is the same bead but in raw copper ***

I was always looking for interesting metal components that I could incorporate into a necklace that I designed for trunk shows at Bloomingdales. This bead, although over 40 years old, is still in very good shape with very little patina at all as you can see in the pictures.

Price is for 1 of these INCREDIBLE beads which measures 32mm and I 100% guarantee it to be vintage brass from the 1960's.

I sold many of these unique beads during the 1980's - they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE ITALIAN GLASS BEADS GREY BROWN Lampwork 10mm pkg 6 1970 G330

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:57:38 -0500

$2.50
Vintage Italian lampwork beads with soft muted swirled colors in browns and a pale bluish grey. Each bead of course is different because they're handmade but we will do our best to match the 6 that you purchase. The luster is incredible even though these beads are well over 30 years old!

We found these beads in Italy during one of our first European buying trips in 1979. We had heard about a particular outdoor market in Ventimiglia ,Italy and made it our business to stop while on our way to Nice, France in 1979. I found quite a number of incredible beads there that I've never seen since and can never replace.

I mixed these beautiful glass beads with grey (natural ) chalcedony and tigereye for a beaded necklace I did for the Smithsonian.
*** Please check out these gemstone round beads under my section gemstone beads if you are interested***

Price is for 6 of these vintage lampwork Italian glass beads which measure approximately 8.5mm x 10mm and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1970's if not earlier.

I sold many such unusual lampwork beads in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during the mid 1980's as well as in a design I did for the Smithsonian.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or neighborhood bead shop!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE CHINESE GREEN SERPENTINE Stone BEADS 12mm pkg 2 1980 RB80

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:03:20 -0500

$4.50
Vintage Chinese serpentine semiprecious stone beads!
These beads are so lustrous and beautiful!

These are 2 very large quite hard to find in this size, translucent natural untreated 12mm large serpentine beads !

We purchased a number of these back in 1980 during one of our first buying trips to the Far East and when the quality and standards acceptable for bead cutting were so much higher than they are these days!

These days very few stone beads are cut in Hong Kong - most are being cut in India where the standards are not what they were over 25 years ago in the Far East!

Serpentine is called " new jade" but it is MUCH more translucent than jade. These beads were cut in China and the material is very uniform and dense and takes a beautiful high polish as you can see in these photographs.

Color can vary from bead to bead but we will do our best to match the 2 that you purchase.

We 100% guarantee these 12mm serpentine beads to be vintage natural untreated stone beads that were cut in China and purchased by us in 1980 for a large order I was doing for the Smithsonian Institution's museum shops and mail order catalog.

Price is for 2 of these beautiful beads.

I sold lovely translucent serpentine beads such as these through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period. You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE CHINESE GREEN SERPENTINE BEADS STONE 8mm pkg 6 1980 RB79

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:02:45 -0500

$3.50
Vintage serpentine stone beads!
We purchased a number of these beautiful gem quality green serpentine beads back in 1980 during one of our first buying trips to Asia . They were in preparation for a design I was doing for the Smithsonian's museum catalog .
You can see in the photographs how translucent these beads are!

Back then, the quality and standards acceptable for bead cutting were so much higher than they are these days! These beads are well cut and perfectly round - not like some of the beads coming out of India these days.

These days very few stone beads are cut in Hong Kong - most are being cut in India where the standards are not what they were over 25 years ago in Asia!

Serpentine is called " new jade" but it is MUCH more translucent than jade. These beads were cut in China and the material is very uniform and dense and takes a beautiful high polish as you can see in these photographs.

Color can vary from bead to bead but we will do our best to match the 6 beads that you purchase.

We 100% guarantee these beads to be vintage serpentine natural stone beads that were cut in China and purchased by us in 1980 for a large order I was doing for the Smithsonian Institution's museum shops and mail order catalog.

Price is for 6 of these genuine vintage serpentine beads.

I sold lovely translucent serpentine beads such as these through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE BLACK ONYX BEADS A Grade 6mm STONE pk 20 1970 RB66

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:29 -0500

$4.25
Vinage, exceptional A grade quality 6mm black onyx beads that were produced in Hong Kong almost 30 yrs. ago at a time when the bead market was oriented toward very high quality ,unusual and unique materials. We personally picked out each strand at this factory in Hong Kong for an order that I was producing for the Smithsonian's mail order catalog.

Standards of cutting 25 yrs ago were much higher than now even for " plain round stone beads" and there is a huge difference in the quality of beads produced today in terms of roundness and polish if you know what to look for.

In general, today's market does not have such exacting standards of quality and many beads are being cut in India where the labor is cheaper than Hong Kong. You may end up purchasing beads where the holes are not evenly drilled, the beads are not perfectly round, or the polish is uneven or dull .

Price is for 20 of these 6mm black onyx beads which we guarantee to be natural stone and produced in Hong Kong in 1979. You can see the superb luster in the photographs!

I sold many of these black onyx beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please check my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer.

VINTAGE Amber SILK THREAD Lucite BEADS 11mm Plastic pkg6 1950 RES336

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:49:17 -0500

$3.50
Fabulous vintage lucite beads from the 1970's that have been covered with a golden amber silk thread- a popular style bead back in the 1950's! You can see the detail and beautiful sheen hopefully in the photographs.

I fell in love with these unusual beads when I found them back in the early 1980's in London on Portobello Road ( the antique district ).

***If you love these beads, I have the same kind of bead but in a dark rich lapis blue oval ( RES-220 ) also listed in my shop so please check them out. I will also be listing a few other colors !***

These beads are light as a feather and in excellent condition.
Price is for 6 of these 10mm x11mm round beads that and we 100& guarantee them to be vintage silk thread covered beads from the 1970's - 1980's.

I sold such beads through trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period in their " bridge jewelry" department.

You'll never see resin beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or local bead shop!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN GLASS FLOWER BEADS AQUA TURQUOISE pkg 2 10mm 1950 GL188

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:19:57 -0500

$3.25
Vintage West German pressed glass flower beads much like my item GL-167 and GL-172 (only those are 8mm sizes in a wonderful green and white combination and in a pale aqua color.)
These beads are larger - 10mm x 5mm each.

*******I also have these same larger beads listed in white - please see my item no. GL-173**********

These beads are side drilled as you can see in one of the photographs and in excellent condition considering they are over 50 years old.

Price is for 2 of these 10mm size opaque light aqua or light turquoise tulip beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage West German glass. I have these same beads also listed in an 8mm size ( GL-172)

I sold many such magnificent vintage glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

VINTAGE Tigereye BEADS AAA GRADE 8mm pkg 50 1970 RB17A

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:32:45 -0500

$24.50
Superb vintage AAA grade tigereye beads that were acquired in Hong Kong on one of our first buying trips. They are EXTREMELY well cut, perfectly round and with a very high polish as you can see in the photographs!

Tigereye comes in many grades.
Most people are not aware of the wide variability in appearance and polish. Top grade material ( AAA ) is solid and dense with the mineral fibers intact ( no voids ), uniform color and hard.
In fact,this AAA grade of material is used to produce the very rare catseye cabochons and many AAA beads show this unique effect.

Lower tigereye grades show variable color (irregular patches of blue and red )and the material varies in hardness so polished beads have long pits where fibers have actually pulled out.

Supply problems in South Africa have created a shortage of top grade tigereye. Most of what you see sold online is B and C grade material which is far less valuable. The price of such material may seem attractive but " you get what you pay for" so be sure of what you are buying!

We 100% guarantee these tigereye beads to be AAA grade and vintage from the late 1970's. Price is for one 16" strand of AAA grade tigereye beads.

The luster on these beads is stunning as you can see in all the photographs although these beads are over 25 years old.

I sold many of these gem quality tigeyere beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE FOSSIL STONE BEADS AMBER FOCAL shell 20mm pkg 2 RB20

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:25:02 -0500

$4.25
Vintage fossil stone beads in a wonderful amber color.
Fossil stone is unique to Taiwan and is a dense limestone containing microscopic marine fossils.
It takes a wonderful polish as you can see in the photographs and can be dyed a variety of colors.

These are great focal beads that are carved from fossil stone that has been dyed a rich dark peach /amber brown color with an interesting texture of a lace work pattern. We purchased these beads in Hong Kong in 1982 where they had been cut having been imported from Taiwan

Price is for these 2 beads measuring 20mm each and we 100% guarantee them to be natural vintage stone beads.

We sold many of these fossil stone beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

Vintage OBSIDIAN GLASS STONE BEADS VOLCANIC BLACK Amber BROWN 10mm pkg6 RB14

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:43:29 -0500

$6.75
Vintage black amber obsidian semiprecious stone beads.

These are wonderful beads- not the 'typical' obsidian that you see if you're lucky ( snowflake obsidian ) but instead something called " Double Flow" Obsidian - rather hard to come across these days at all! We purchased these beads in Hong Kong in 1984 for a design I was doing for the Smithsonian Institution's winter mail order catalog.

This stone is volcanic rock that had a 2 stage cooling history . In the second stage, the flow direction changed which accounts for the two colors - black and a wonderful burnt orange /brown color.

These beads are striking when mixed with black onyx !

Price is for 6 of these 10mm beads and I 100% guarantee them to be natural stone from the early 1980's.

I sold many of these double flow obsidian beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE FOSSIL STONE BEADS Gray 8.5mm Shell pkg10 RB113

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:35:19 -0500

$3.75
Vintage grey fossil stone beads that are both unusual and extremely hard to find nowadays!

These vintage stone beads have been dyed a wonderful shade of medium grey and have an interesting texture of a lace work pattern characteristic of this material.
**If you love these beads, I have similar beads this size but in amethyst purple -RB-114 and bright turquoise RB-108 so please have a look!**

***If you like these beads, please see the several other fossil stone beads I have listed but in larger mm sizes : RB-021 is in an amber honey brown color,( RB-100) in cranberry red color, soft pink ( RB-106)
BRIGHT "Valentine" hot pink ( RB-104 ,
(RB-105) in a turquoise color, and RB-107 in a deep charcoal gray/blue!***

Fossil stone is unique to Taiwan and is a dense limestone containing microscopic marine fossils. Because of the nature of this material,no two beads are alike and the patterns and 'colorations' are unique to each bead.
Fossil stone also takes a wonderful polish as you can see in the photographs and can be dyed a variety of colors.

Price is for these 10 beads measuring 8.5mm each and we 100% guarantee them to be natural vintage stone beads.

We sold many of these fossil stone beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE Chinese Chalcedony STONE BEADS Ivory White 8mm pkg 8 1980s RB43

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:31:21 -0500

$5.85
Vintage chalk white chalcedony stone beads!

We purchased these beads on one of our earlier buying trips to Hong Kong. The color is a true pure white color with incredible luster as you can see!

These beads are white chalcedony ( which some people refer to as white agate but it is in fact the mineral chalcedony). We have seen other people refer to it as " white jade" but it is in fact chalcedony!

They look wonderful when mixed with the many of the vintage Chinese porcelain beads I also have here in my shop.

Price is for 8 of these 8mm beads and we 100% guarantee them to be natural stone and vintage from the 1980's.

**These beads have been dyed this color as natural chalcedony is a pale grey color but as you can see, these beads are over 20 yrs. old and still look as gorgeous as ever with incredible luster and even distribution of color.
Chalcedony comes in all sorts of colors and goes under all sorts of names ( some people even call it jade so always be sure of what you're buying.)

I sold many of these white chalcedony beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Chinese Porcelain CLAY BEADS Lapis Blue CHINESE FLOWERS FOCAL 18mm pkg 2 POR157

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:30:24 -0500

$8.50
Vintage, beautiful ,very ornate large blue and white Chinese oval porcelain clay beads from the late 1970's! They have Chinese lettering on one side and a floral pattern on the other side which I have tried to show in the various photographs.

These beads would be wonderful focal beads as they are a very nice large oval size measuring 18mm x 13mm!

***IF you love this bead, please check out my item POR-153 which is a larger companion bead! ***

As you can tell from the photographs,despite being at least 30 years old, they have an excellent sheen with intricate patterns of blue floral images and Chinese lettering.

Price is for 2 of these elegant beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage Chinese porcelain and from the late 1970s.

This beads looks absolutely stunning when mixed with lapis- please check out the gemstone lapis beads I have in my shop!

I sold many of these porcelain beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show" or neighborhood bead shop!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE CHINESE WHITE PORCELAIN Clay BEADS Koi Fish FOCAL Cinnabar ORANGE GOLD 25mm pkg 2 POR47

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:38:47 -0500

$11.75
Vintage Chinese white porcelain clay beads with gorgeous orange koi fish on them! My husband found them in a tiny factory in Taiwan in 1984 when he was on a buying trip for my jewelry business.
These amazing beads were even featured in an article written about me in the Washington Post!

Each bead is 25mm and the price is for 2 beads. These beads are basically the same as item #POR7 but the background is white instead of pale pink porcelain.

I also have these same basic vintage white porcelain Koi fish beads for sale here in my shop but in a smaller size (20mm size) and that package is for 4 beads - item # PO-009

These would be gorgeous focal beads in any necklace and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage and made in Taiwan.
The background is white with deep orange Koi fish on each bead.

These would be wonderful mixed with carnelian- please check out the carved carnelian stone beads I have in my shop currently.

I sold many of these beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

Please see my profile for more information about my career as a jewelry designer!

VINTAGE CHINESE WHITE Porcelain Clay BEAD KOI FISH Lapis Blue FOCAL 25mm pkg1 POR137

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:32:40 -0500

$6.75
Vintage porcelain clay bead with a blue koi fish hand painted on it! We purchased a few of these lovely beads in Hong Kong in 1982 and I still have about one dozen remaining in my studio.

This is a beautiful handmade porcelain bead with a beautiful luster and a very ornately and delicately painted Chinese Koi fish painted in a deep lapis blue color on a stark white background. Deep lapis blue seaweed is also on the bead for added detail. I've tried to take pictures from all angles to show you the pattern.

****This would be stunning mixed with white chalcedony and any of the gem quality genuine lapis beads that I also have in my shop ***

I 100% guarantee this to be a handmade 25mm vintage Chinese porcelain bead purchased in 1982.

I sold many of these beautiful vintage hand painted porcelain beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN PINK GIVRE GLASS BEADS 8.5mm pkg 2 1950 GL519

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:40:53 -0500

$3.25
Vintage West German Givre glass beads in a soft pink color within a clear glass bead. They're also a wonderful oval twist shape which has always been one of my favorites!

I was always looking for beads that had an interesting texture or shape when I was collecting vintage glass beads back in the 1980's.

**I so have other oval twist beads in my shop under glass beads so please check them out as well if you're interested**

Each bead measures 8.5mm x5mm and the price is for these 2 beads which we 100% guarantee to be vintage from the 1950's. Because they are handmade, the amount of pink varies from bead to bead but we will do our best to match the 2 that you purchase.
**These beads are lovely with rose quartz beads. If you are interested, please check out my listings for rose quartz beads in both round and carved in my shop!**

I sold many such unique and one of a kind glass beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE Brecciated Jasper STONE BEADS 8mm pkg 8 1980 RB92

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:38:32 -0500

$6.50
Top quality vintage brecciated jasper stone beads that we purchased back in 1986 in Hong Kong. The cutting and polish is superb and characteristic of that time and standards in Asia!

***If you love this bead, please check out my item RB-070 which is the same bead in the same quality only in an 8mm size *****

In brecciated jasper,rich browns, cremes and shades of brick red are swirled through the stone in an amazingly wide range of patterns.
The patterns in these particular beads are wonderful and these beads lend themselves to all sorts of beautiful combinations with other stone beads such as red jasper and even the coral chalcedony I have listed in my shop.

As you can see from the photographs, there is a wide variety of patterns and intricacy of the patterns from bead to bead, but the colors are all consistent and in being so, all the beads blend with one another.

Usually considered as chalcedony, jasper is found all over the world. Brecciated jasper is so named because of its resemblance to a rock known as breccia, which consists of angular and jagged rock fragments within a fine-grained uniform host material.

Price is for 8 of these 8mm beads which I 100% guarantee to be natural vintage brecciated stone beads from the mid 1980's.

I sold brecciated jasper beads such as these through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page

VINTAGE PORCELAIN Clay BEADS CARNELIAN RED Chinese Eternity 12mm pkg 4 POR155

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:37:46 -0500

$5.25
Unusual vintage cinnabar red porcelain clay beads with the Chinese eternity symbol on them. We purchased these during a buying trip in 1984 and I've never seen beads like this since that trip over 20 years ago!

******If you love these beads, please check out the other vintage hand painted Chinese porcelain beads I also have in my shop under ' porcelain' beads- a couple of which have similar colors ***

Price is for 4 beads and we 100% guarantee them to be vintage from the 1980's and from Hong Kong.

These would be stunning when combined with the cinnabar beads that I have also listed recently ( Item CIN-015). I in fact created a design using these two vintage beads and the natural genuine Pre Ban ivory beads for a necklace thatI sold in Bloomingdales in the 1980's.

I also sold many of these porcelain beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You'll never see beads like this nowadays at your neighborhood "gem show"!

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!

VINTAGE GERMAN Lucite BEADS Emerald Green Cones 13mm pkg 4 1950 RES335

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:14:50 -0500

$3.25
Vintage lucite cone beads in the most luscious emerald green color! They're not a true teardrop shape but more of a cone as even the bottom is faceted as you can see in the photographs!
These are faceted lucite beads from the 1950's that I used in a number of earring designs I did for the 'bridge' jewelry dept. of Bloomingdales in the mid 1980s'.

***These beads were part of an old piece of broken costume jewelry made in Germany that we found on Portobello Road in London ( the antique district ) back in the early 1980's.

Because these beads are over 45 years old, you can see that around the holes are a bit of lucite residue from when they were manufactured. These are definitely "old" vintage and not 'new' vintage made in the 1980's!
This residue is easily cleaned off but isn't even noticeable when strung in a design.

Price is for 4 of these 13mm x8mm wonderful old vintage beads which I 100% guarantee to be vintage lucite from the 1950's.

I also sold many of these beautiful beads through the Smithsonian Institution's museum shop and mail order catalog during the 1980's and they were also featured in trunk shows at Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue during this same time period.

You can read more about my career as a jewelry designer in my profile page!