11-12 painted glass beads

Description

Approx. 8 inches string, 11-12 beads (12 mm.diam. x 17-20 mm.) with a 2-3 mm hole that accommodate thicker stringing materials as leather or hemp.
The approx. net weight is 55 grams.

Recycled glass beads are made by crushing old glass (from old bottles, windows, etc) into powder, which s then heated and poured into clay molds. A leaf stem (cassava) is used to make a hole. As the beads are oven backed, glass fuses and the stem burn away.
The bead making technique has been used in Africa for centuries. It results in a beautiful, rough, primitive appearance with a texture similar to sea glass.