are featured today on the front page of the I Heart Handmade Summer show under the Beadful Things theme.

I'm having fun expanding the Traded Treasures collection, which I just launched this summer. These designs are affordable but substantial and feature an array of genuine glass trade beads.

Trade beads are glass beads made in Europe - often Venice - in the 16th through early 20th centuries. They historically were used as currency by Europeans travelling the globe. Many beads made their way to Africa where artisans used them in all sorts of amazing jewelry and decorative designs.

The trade beads in modern jewelry, like my Traded Treasures, include both newer, reproduction trade beads and old trade beads that were either used as currency or stored unused for decades. Although it's difficult to determine the exact year of manufacture of old trade beads, experts can usually narrow down a time frame for their origin. The cornflower blue beads in this bracelet were probably made around the turn of the 20th century:

The striped blue-on-white beads in this piece were most likely made in the mid- to late- 1800s:

The combination of beads in this collection staple are a mixture of new and slightly older trade beads. In this mix, the beads are often referred to as Christmas beads:

Six Traded Treasures chain bracelets are currently available in the Etsy shop, with more on the way. Check back soon to preview new additions.