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African Trade Beads

African beads were first produced as a form of currency for native inhabitants all across the continent of Africa centuries ago, and are now appreciated world wide by thousands of bead collectors, wearers, and enthusiasts. What draws people to trade beads is not only their elegance and beauty in craft, but the experience and history that comes along with each bead. While African bead makers continue to create new beads today, many of the items we offer have traveled long distances and years of existence to arrive where they are today.

We carry a large selection of high quality, authentic trade beads. Hundreds of strands in stock, including glass trade beads, antique african trade beads, vintage venetian trade beads, Chevron trade beads, czech trade beads, and more.

Trade Beads are beads that have been used as a form of currency for the exchange of goods and services especially in West Africa. Some of the more common items that these beads were bartered for include ivory, gold, slaves, and other goods that were in demand by Europeans and colonial overlords. Trade beads were made throughout Europe, however their production was concentrated in Venice and Bohemia where the secrets of glass bead production were a carefully guarded secret. The high demand for European beads in Africa can be attributed to the cultural value put by African peoples on decorative items. Jewelry items could add to the status of the owner and could be passed on to future generations as a symbol of wealth.

Interestingly, trade beads were also used for trade in the New World. The important role that they played is illustrated by the legend that the Dutch purchased the island of Manhattan from local Native American tribes for several strands of beads. It is believed that Christopher Columbus used glass Trade Beads for barter during his early voyages. Later, Spanish explorers and European fur traders and American explorers such as Lewis and Clark used Trade Beads to facilitate interactions with local peoples and to procure goods. Today, African beads used in the trade are considered highly collectible items.

A wide variety of Trade Beads were produced between the 16th and 20th centuries. One of the most celebrated bead designs is the Millefiori Bead from Venice that was named after the characteristic flower pattern on its surface. The methods used to make these and other beads are a testament to the innovation of Venetian artisans. African artisans subsequently copied glass cane beads such as the Millefiori using powdered glass techniques to produce indigenous African Kiffa Beads with similar patterns. Additional well-known varieties of trade beads include Chevrons, Dogon Beads,Vaseline Beads, Russian Blue Beads, Skunk Beads and many others.

Today, Trade Beads are world-renown for their rich legacy and aesthetic beauty. While African Trade Beads have long been highly regarded in African culture, their appreciation in Western countries continues to grow both among bead collectors and artists as well as bead enthusiasts alike.

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Yellow & Red Antique Venetian Watermelon Chevron Beads Sold out
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00

Yellow & Red Antique Venetian Watermelon Chevron Beads

Out of stock

These yellow & red Venetian Watermelon Chevron beads are bright and colorful. Trade beads such as these were originally produced in Italy and t...

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$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
Sold out
Matching Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #15932 Sold out
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00

Matching Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #15932

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

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$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
Sold out
Rare Round Vintage Binta Banji Czech Prosser Beads #13183 Sold out
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00

Rare Round Vintage Binta Banji Czech Prosser Beads #13183

Out of stock

The unique look of Kakamba beads is easily recognized among the beads of Africa. Originally produced in former Czechoslovakia, these beads are made...

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$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
Sold out
Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #15553 Sold out
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00

Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #15553

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

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$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
Sold out
Rare Round Vintage Binta Banji Czech Prosser Beads #13181
Sold out
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00

Rare Round Vintage Binta Banji Czech Prosser Beads #13181

Out of stock

The unique look of Kakamba beads is easily recognized among the beads of Africa. Originally produced in former Czechoslovakia, these beads are made...

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$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
Sold out
Mixed Blue & Red Medley Vaseline Beads #13717
Sold out
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00

Mixed Blue & Red Medley Vaseline Beads #13717

Out of stock

Old Vaseline beads in these color are exceedingly rare and hard to find. Beads such as these were likely made in Bohemia using a combination of gla...

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$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
Sold out
Clear Translucent Vaseline Cube Beads #13032
Sold out
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00

Clear Translucent Vaseline Cube Beads #13032

Out of stock

These authentic vintage Vaseline beads are rare both in their color and in their shape. Made from Bohemian Glass during the 1800's, beads such as t...

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$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
Sold out
Yellow & Red Antique Oval Venetian Millefiori Beads #13456
$265.00 - $265.00
$265.00
$265.00
$265.00 - $265.00
$265.00

Yellow & Red Antique Oval Venetian Millefiori Beads #13456

Only 1 left!

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

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$265.00 - $265.00
$265.00
$265.00
$265.00 - $265.00
$265.00
Yellow & Black Fancy Venetian Trade Beads #15645
Sold out
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00

Yellow & Black Fancy Venetian Trade Beads #15645

Out of stock

This beautiful strand of Antique Venetian Trade Beads has a distinctively tribal fair. The intense contrast between between the yellow and black co...

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$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
Sold out
Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13429
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00

Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13429

Only 1 left!

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

View full details
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
$135.00
$135.00 - $135.00
$135.00
Old Assorted Nigerian Dogon Beads #13174
Sold out
$249.00 - $249.00
$249.00
$249.00
$249.00 - $249.00
$249.00

Old Assorted Nigerian Dogon Beads #13174

Out of stock

Unique strand of old wound trade beads also known as Dutch Dogons from the African Trade. These rare beads truly show the wear of time and were tra...

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$249.00 - $249.00
$249.00
$249.00
$249.00 - $249.00
$249.00
Sold out
Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13430
Sold out
$139.00 - $139.00
$139.00
$139.00
$139.00 - $139.00
$139.00

Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13430

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

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$139.00 - $139.00
$139.00
$139.00
$139.00 - $139.00
$139.00
Sold out
Antique White Heart Beaded Necklace #1056
Sold out
$245.00 - $245.00
$245.00
$245.00
$245.00 - $245.00
$245.00

Antique White Heart Beaded Necklace #1056

Out of stock

Admire this unique beaded necklace fashioned from old white heart seed beads. Found in Nigeria, pieces such as this were created using old Venetian...

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$245.00 - $245.00
$245.00
$245.00
$245.00 - $245.00
$245.00
Sold out
Antique Venetian Millefiori Trade Beads from Nigeria #13394
Sold out
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00

Antique Venetian Millefiori Trade Beads from Nigeria #13394

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

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$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
Sold out
Matching Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13423
Sold out
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00

Matching Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13423

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

View full details
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
$159.00
$159.00 - $159.00
$159.00
Sold out
Assorted Antique Nigerian Trade Beads #1179
Sold out
$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00
$269.00
$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00

Assorted Antique Nigerian Trade Beads #1179

Out of stock

What a strand! This unique medley of includes a collection of color coordinated beads including a Millefiori Bead, Old Cylindrical Cornaline D'Alep...

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$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00
$269.00
$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00
Sold out
Rare Graduated Russian Blue & Vaseline Beads
Sold out
$495.00
$495.00 - $495.00
$495.00
$475.00
$475.00 - $475.00
$475.00

Rare Graduated Russian Blue & Vaseline Beads

Out of stock

Among the most celebrated of faceted beads, Russian Blues derive their romantic name from their involvement in the Russian fur trade of the Pacific...

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$495.00
$495.00 - $495.00
$495.00
$475.00
$475.00 - $475.00
$475.00
Sold out
Kakamba Prosser Beads (14mm) #16543
Sold out
$34.50 - $34.50
$34.50
$34.50
$34.50 - $34.50
$34.50

Kakamba Prosser Beads (14mm) #16543

Out of stock

The unique look of Kakamba beads is easily recognized among the beads of Africa. Originally produced in former Czechoslovakia, these beads are made...

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$34.50 - $34.50
$34.50
$34.50
$34.50 - $34.50
$34.50
Sold out
Antique Faceted Russian Blue Beads (9mm) #16563
Sold out
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00

Antique Faceted Russian Blue Beads (9mm) #16563

Out of stock

Among the most celebrated of faceted beads, Russian Blues derive their romantic name from their involvement in the Russian fur trade of the Pacific...

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$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
Sold out
Antique Multicolor Venetian Feather Beads #16399
Sold out
$185.00 - $185.00
$185.00
$185.00
$185.00 - $185.00
$185.00

Antique Multicolor Venetian Feather Beads #16399

Out of stock

Feather beads are recognizable by the distinctive symmetric motif that resembles the feather of a bird. This design was created by a skilled artisa...

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$185.00 - $185.00
$185.00
$185.00
$185.00 - $185.00
$185.00
Sold out
Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13812
Sold out
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00

Antique Venetian Millefiori African Trade Beads #13812

Out of stock

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori ha...

View full details
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
$149.00
$149.00 - $149.00
$149.00
Sold out
Antique Green & Black Venetian Chevron Beads #14670
Sold out
$299.00
$299.00 - $299.00
$299.00
$269.00
$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00

Antique Green & Black Venetian Chevron Beads #14670

Out of stock

Take a look at this incredible strand of Venetian Chevron Beads. Chevron beads such as as these are highly sought-after by bead collectors and bead...

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$299.00
$299.00 - $299.00
$299.00
$269.00
$269.00 - $269.00
$269.00
Sold out
Jumbo Mixed Antique Venetian Trade Beads #15967
Sold out
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00

Jumbo Mixed Antique Venetian Trade Beads #15967

Out of stock

Looking for a truly unique strand of antique mixed trade beads? Then look no further. This beautiful strand of old african trade beads contains a m...

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$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
$325.00
$325.00 - $325.00
$325.00
Sold out
Antique Elbow Venetian Millefiori Trade Beads #12543
$349.00 - $349.00
$349.00
$349.00
$349.00 - $349.00
$349.00

Antique Elbow Venetian Millefiori Trade Beads #12543

Only 1 left!

Take a look at this beautiful antique strand of Venetian Millefiori trade beads! Celebrated among the most distinctive of beads, the Millefiori has...

View full details
$349.00 - $349.00
$349.00
$349.00
$349.00 - $349.00
$349.00