~ THE BEADS ~

The beads were designed and handmade by bead-makers with highly developed artistic skills from the 1920s to the 1960s.  The myriad of shapes are based on the richly creative era of the Biedermeier period, a fashion style popular in Germany and France between 1815 and 1860.
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There are pyramids, cones, feathers, rectangles, triangles bottles, arrowheads, rosettes, flowers, olives, acorns, pears, leaves, single hole, double hole, drops, pendants, stones - the list is quite inexhaustible.
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Each bead, no matter how small or intricate, was meticulously hand-pressed from hot glass cane, one at a time, and then tumble polished to achieve the exceptional gem-like quality of fine crystal.  The beads are extraordinarily versatile in jewelry designs: whether used alone or combined with stone beads, gems or clay beads, they have a singular power of beauty.

~  GLASS and the COLORS ~

 
The highest quality glass canes were hand-drawn from finely separated color magmas designed for each specific bead, from single color glass canes, to canes with a dozen colors wound in delicate circling overlays around each other, with transparent glass or translucent glass, or opaque glass in every stage of diaphaneity.  The colors are natural, alive and truly exceptional.
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Simultaneously antique and modern, they  possess rare depths from single earthy colors, to multi-colored overlays and mosaics.  The color range is imaginative and vast:  Magenta, violet blue,  smoky topaz, deep purple, turquoise,  pink, coral red, storm gray, korallin , jasper, hyacinth, garnet, beryl, lilac, dark ruby, gypsy brown, raven blue, alabaster yellow, carnelian, rose opal, amethyst, safranine red, black olive, sapphire, Montana blue - and on and on.
 

With special thanks to
GRAY WOLF COMPANY
Importers of fine vintage glass beads for over 20 years.
"With a heritage of beadmakers and artists, we are the forefront
of the 'American Bead Renaissance"

13420 McKitrick Ranch Road - Nevada City, CA 95959
PHONE: 530-274-1101   or   FAX: 530-274-1102
 

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