Beads
are one of the oldest form of personal adornement
from the immemorial time around the world. The
mankind has been making & using the beads
from dating back to pre-historic time.It is said
that the oldest beads were made about 40000 years
ago from the ostrich egg shell but other archaeologicals
have found ebvidences which indicate that the
ancient mankind used to make beads even befor
that.It is not just a question of who has found
the oldest beads, whether they be in West Asia
or Africa or elsewhere. Archaeologists are beginning
to realize what a profound invention they were
and are now actively discussing their meaning.
Their role as social markers has recently garnered
attention. Now the earliest appearance of beads
coinciding with radical changes in hunting habits
is lending weight to a "new view"
of human development.
Nearly contemporary early beads have now been
found in Turkey, Kenya, Lebanon, and Bulgaria.
Mary Stiner, of the University of Arizona,
told the American Association for the Advancement
of Science's annual meeting that these finds,
coupled with her work with Steven Kuhn in early
sites around the Mediterranean reveal a change
in hunting practices by early humans some 40,000
to 50,000. Similar changes are seen in Africa.
At this time, there was a major change in hunting
habits from slow, easy-to-catch animals like
tortoises and shellfish to swifter, more elusive
animals like rabbits and partridges. Why? Stiner
says: If you have over-used your preferred resource,
you can respond by turning to lower-ranked,
harder-to-catch resources.
Human population increase may well also be
the reason for the appearance of the first beads.
As she explained, Ornamentation is universal
among all modern human foragers. For these people,
ornaments as principally used to denote status
and group membership.
Because these changes were made at about the
same time in widely dispersed places, the evidence
mounts that modern human behavior arose almost
simultaneously in several places. This is the
"continuity" theory of modern human
development, occurring in parallel among populations
on three continents.
It contrasts with the "out of Africa"
theory that suggests that modern humans emerged
from Africa at this time, sweeping less advanced
indigenous populations before them. The idea
that all humans had their ultimate origin in
Africa is not in dispute here.
The fact that both behavioral changes (hunting,
beadmaking) happened long after the appearance
of anatomically modern humans is also significant.
As Stiner put it: it [is] clear that modern
human behavior doesn't appear at the same time
that skeletally modern humans do.
Beads are used for many diffrent purposes in
societies such as healing, personal adornement,
creativity, handicrafts, royality, collections,
mythical etc. Beads have been also playing important
role in the development of society, culture
over the years in all the contents of the world.
In America-Native Americans have long made great
use of Beads in their jewelery, waistbands,
bracelets, bags and other clothes. Leather and
suede items are heavily studded with Turquoise
and other Beads of green, white, blue and red
creating visually motifs that often also tell
a story.Beads are often seen everywhere in daily
life.
In Europe-In various parts of Europe there
is very importance of Beads.Various types of
Beads are prefered in various regions.Gemstones
Beads are very populer in Germany,Netherland,Belgium,Switzerland
& Italy.Costume Jewelery Beads are populer
in France,Spain & Pourtgal.Also in other
Eurpean regions there is much importance of
diffrent types of Beads.Also in many daily life
products Beads are often used.European artists
do love Beads.
In Russia- Especially Glass Beads have been
popular since the 10th century. As well as embroidering
beads onto purses, bags, shoes, waistbands and
a variety of coverlets, much larger and incredibly
impressive items of beadwork were created, including
whole items of furniture! Popular patterns included
flowers and symbols taken from classical art:
angels, hearts, keys and anchors. This folk
culture of beading even made its way into Russian
orthodox churches where elaborate examples of
beading can be found in many ritualistic objects.
In Africa- Brightly colored Beads displaying
geometrical patterns with sacral meanings have
long played an important role in Africa.Gemstones
Beads are most prefered in Africa.
In Asia-Beads have been playing important role
in societies of Asian countries.Asians do love
them for healing,mythical purposes.Jade is in
fact called a stone of Asia.It is known as Chinese
stone & very populer in Asian counties.In
the Indonesian archipelago the preferred color
for beadwork is yellow.Cultured & uncultured
pearls are mostly desired of China & Japan
respetively.Beads in Asia are used for many
creative,artistic purposes.In Asia pacific ,Beads
are very populer.
In many cultures Beads have also been used
as money or for barter. When Christopher Columbus
set off for the New World he took Beads as gifts.
In fact, even Manhattan was bought with Beads.
Beads Varities
There are various varieties of beads which of
them here includes only the most populer traditional
varieties of beads such as like-Gemstones Beads,
Crystal Beads,Cultured freswater Pearls ,coral
beads,silver Beads & glass beads.
Gemstones Beads
Gemstones beads are the most popular type of
beads made from precious gems and semi precious
gems. Gemstones Precious beads though are valuable
types than others yet they can be affordable
as well. Gemstones semi precious beads are extramely
populer for their wide variety of semi precious
gemstones.These beads do come in lots types
of colors,shapes,designes etc. more importantly
they have been always affordable in prices.Gemstones
beads are manufactured in the ancient gemstones
capital Jaipur in India.
Jaipur, A place which is known as gem
city and renowned for it's variety of Gemstones
Beads, as well as it's history & quality
of beads production. Gemstones beads are normally
manufactured through eight following processing
steps-
