39 tube sand cast glass beads

Description

Full strand of handmade beads, 39 column/tube shaped beads, polished.
The whole strand measures 32-34 inches (from bead to bead).
Bead size: 12-13 mm.diam x 20-23 mm.
Weight 190-200 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.