Sacred Strand: Homage to Trade Beads

Fascinated by their myriad shapes, colors, textures, and histories, Jes has been collecting authentic antique trade beads since she was young, often saving up for weeks to buy just one remarkable bead. Over two decades she has amassed one of the largest and finest collections of trade beads in the world. It is from this treasure chest of antiquity that she carefully selects the rare beads that go into each of her original designs.

With natural wear from the touch of many hands and countless years, each bead with its distinctive intricacies of shape and color will set you drifting through the shadows of time. Every artful bead is unique and literally from the Earth. Made of natural metals, such as silver and gold…minerals, such as cobalt and turquoise…naturally occurring substances, like amber and coral…and glass made of silica and sand. By the time they have reached your hands they have already traveled many roads. Often by foot, traders of the past, and many still today, traverse dense jungles and rugged mountain passes – overcoming physical obstacles and logistical challenges to exchange precious beads originating in Europe, Africa, Asia, or the Middle East.

Hundreds and even thousands of years old, every ancient bead is unique and a work of art. The earliest known beads, made of teeth and shell, were found in a cave in France where Neanderthals lived 38,000 years ago. Their purpose is unknown, but spiritual traditions around the world have used strings of beads to help worshippers keep their place during prayer sequences and many trade beads, in addition to being worn for their beauty, are thought to bring good luck or ward off evil. Especially cherished among traders are “eye beads” believed to distract the Evil Eye, and “white hearts” believed to illuminate one’s path and facilitate marriage, fertility and good fortune.

In Africa today, as well as in other cultures and throughout history, trade beads provide tribal people with a means of economic survival during times when agriculture cannot fully support them. Jes has a special place in her heart for trade beads and for the people who have depended upon them for physical, emotional, spiritual, or financial survival. She makes a point of graciously giving back to these cultures by making donations to a variety of cultural and environmental preservation organizations.

When you buy authentic Jes MaHarry jewelry, you can rest assured that you are purchasing genuine antique trade beads that hold both historic and artistic merit. Please wear them with love, knowing that you are part of the strand…the sacred lineage of people who have cherished and have carried these little pieces of history across the years and the miles.