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Bright, beautifully colored glass trade beads with an occasional plastic spacer bead. Originally made in southern Spain and Venice especially for t...
View full detailsYou are looking at a beautiful strand of mixed Chevron glass beads. Each strand includes a unique mix of multicolored beads. Individual beads will ...
View full detailsTake a look at these beautiful chevron beads measuring approximately 5-14 x 6-9mm in size. Chevrons have long been prized as the most valuable of A...
View full detailsThese black color Ghana Chevron beads are fun and versatile. The irregular shape makes gives them a decidedly ethnic feel. Each bead measures 3-5mm...
View full detailsTake a look at this incredible strand of Nepali Chevron beads. These beads are inspired by older Chevron beads, which are highly sought-after by be...
View full detailsA beautiful strand of powder glass African beads, made by the people of Krobo Mountain (Ghana, West Africa), reproducing old Venetian FANCY trade b...
View full detailsTake a look at these beautiful blue chevron beads measuring approximately 7-19 x 8-12mm in size. Chevrons have long been prized as the most valuabl...
View full detailsA beautiful strand of powder glass African beads, made by the people of Krobo Mountain (Ghana, West Africa), reproducing old Venetian FANCY trade b...
View full detailsCheckout this nice strand of Glass Chevrons from Ghana, Africa. The strand measures 22" in length, with beads measuring approximately 3mm in length...
View full detailsCheckout this beautiful strand of authentic glass chevrons from Ghana, Africa. The strand measures 24 inches in length, with beads measuring approx...
View full detailsThis exceptional strand of ghana chevron beads is matte in finish and patterned with blue and white stripes. These beads are superb to use as space...
View full detailsTake a look at this incredible strand of Chevron beads. These beads are inspired by older Chevron beads, which are highly sought-after by bead coll...
View full detailsTake a look at this incredible strand of Chevron beads. These beads are inspired by older Chevron beads, which are highly sought-after by bead coll...
View full detailsTake a look at this incredible strand of Nepali Chevron beads. These beads are inspired by older Chevron beads, which are highly sought-after by be...
View full detailsTake a look at this strand of Awalleh Chevron beads from Africa. The strand measures 24", with beads measuring 7-10mm diameter. Beads may vary slig...
View full detailsCheckout these beautiful Venetian trade beads, known as watermelon chevron. Similar to the commonly known Chevrons, they display a colorful set of ...
View full detailsThese multicolor powder glass beads are inspired by traditional "Aja" trade beads. Shaped as thin, sliced disks, these great beads open up a pletho...
View full detailsTake a look at these beautiful chevron beads measuring approximately 4-8 x 6-8mm in size. Chevrons have long been prized as the most valuable of Af...
View full detailsThese black & white striped glass seed beads are inspired by traditional chevron patterns. Found in Ghana, these 4mm glass beads are strung on ...
View full detailsAdmire this beautiful strand of Awalleh trade beads. These authentic chevron beads are larger than standard, measuring approximately 4-6mm with a h...
View full detailsCheckout these beautiful Venetian trade beads, known as watermelon chevron. Similar to the commonly known Chevrons, they display a colorful set of ...
View full detailsCheckout this nice strand of Glass Chevrons from Ghana, Africa. The strand measures 26" in length, with beads measuring approximately 5 mm in lengt...
View full detailsTake a look at this incredible strand of Nepali Chevron beads. These beads are inspired by older Chevron beads, which are highly sought-after by be...
View full detailsCheckout these beautiful chevron trade beads, known as watermelon chevron. Similar to the commonly known Chevrons, they display a colorful set of ...
View full detailsWe have one of the largest selections of Chevron trade beads on the web. Whether you are looking for traditional green glass chevron, or more exotic yellow jacket chevron, we've got you covered.
Chevron beads are a variety of glass beads that were first created by Venetian and local Murano artisans in Northern Italy following the Middle Ages in the late 1400s. Other names for these beads are Rosetta and Star beads. Chevron beads were traded across the world especially in West Africa where they were introduced by visiting Dutch merchants. Due to their maritime strength and prowess, Dutch traders traveled widely and spread many types of glass beads throughout the world including Chevron beads. The glass industry was a big business and led to many unique beads that have been passed through the ages. In some sense the Chevron trade bead is considered the aristocrat of the bead industry because of it difficult to make and highly coveted as a trading item. In one of the earliest iterations, the Chevron consisted of seven different layers. This is generally believed to be the one hundred year period starting around 1480. In West Africa, European traders exchanged them as a form of currency for a variety of goods and services such as palm oil, ivory, possibly slaves, and luxury items that were in demand in mainland Europe.
Chevron beads are created and made using special techniques. They are classified as a type of drawn bead meaning they are made from glass cane that is created using a specially shaped mold. This process involves stretching the glass into a long tube with a hollow core on which additional layer can be applied, fused, and successively molded. Complex Chevron beads require multiple different layers. The process is concluded when bead edges are pinched to reveal a characteristic pattern zigzag or star pattern created by alternating layers of different colored glass on top of one another and stripes on the outside perimeter of the bead. The number of layers and colors and sizes has been varied over time however the most popular colors in West Africa have been a combination of red, blue and white.
Chevron Beads have been popularized through the present day and are considered possessions of prestige and status to be worn for special occasions and ceremonies by village elders, tribal chiefs, and traditional holy men. In fact, in the west many Chevrons are considered collectors items and may be worn either independently or integrated into contemporary jewelry pieces where they continue to be appreciated for their classic, recognizable, and aesthetic beauty as well as their rich historical legacy.
These beautiful trade beads age in range. While newer versions can be found in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, older chevron beads come in traditional colors and can be identified by the number of layers present.