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Bone Beads

  • Light Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Circular) - The Bead Chest
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    $15.00
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    Light Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Circular)

    in stock

    Admire this beautiful strand of bone beads from Kenya. East African bone beads are handcrafted by artisans using recycled cow bone. Each bead is in...

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    $15.00
    $15.00 - $15.00
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    $10.00
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    Save 33% Save %
  • Tan Nigerian Camel Bone Beads (Disk) - The Bead Chest
    $12.00 - $12.00
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    Tan Nigerian Camel Bone Beads (Disk)

    in stock

    These rustic beads are said to be made using recycled camel bone. Each bead is hand-carved into its initial shape. Some are then patterned through...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
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  • Brown Bone Button Beads (6mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Brown Bone Button Beads (6mm)

    in stock

    These natural beads are handcrafted by artisans in the Nepal countryside using recycled bone. The beads are in a special disk shape and resemble bu...

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    $8.00 - $8.00
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  • Brown Watermelon Bone Beads (8mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Brown Watermelon Bone Beads (8mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this great strand of watermelon patterned bone beads from Indonesia. Each bead measures approximately 5-6 x 8mm with a hole size of ...

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    $10.00 - $10.00
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  • Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Small) - The Bead Chest
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    Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Small)

    in stock

    These beads are strung on sisal and could even be worn as is. The strand is approximately 26" long, and each bead is about 13-14mm in length.

    $12.00 - $12.00
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  • Cream Vintage-Style Carved Chevron Bone Prayer Beads (8mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Cream Vintage-Style Carved Chevron Bone Prayer Beads (8mm)

    Only 6 left!

    Admire this unique strand of brown and white bone prayer beads. Each bead has been individual carved with a chevron design and measures approximate...

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    $24.50 - $24.50
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  • Dark Brown Mala Bone Beads (10mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $18.00
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    Dark Brown Mala Bone Beads (10mm)

    in stock

    These high quality Malas each contain 108 rustic beads made of recycled bone. Each bead measures approximately 8 x 10-11mm, with a hole size of 2mm...

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    $12.00
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    Save 33% Save %
  • Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Circular) - The Bead Chest
    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Circular)

    in stock

    Take a look at this beautiful strand of circular kenya brown bone. These beads are strung on sisal and could be worn as is. The strand is over 24" ...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Kenya Light Brown Bone Beads (Large) - The Bead Chest
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    Kenya Light Brown Bone Beads (Large)

    in stock

    Admire this beautiful strand of bone beads from Kenya. East African bone beads are handcrafted by artisans using recycled cow bone. Each bead is in...

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    $22.50 - $22.50
    $22.50
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  • Brown Bone Button Beads (10mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Brown Bone Button Beads (10mm)

    in stock

    These natural beads are handcrafted by artisans in the Nepal countryside using recycled bone. The beads are in a special disk shape and resemble bu...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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    $14.00
  • Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Saucer) - The Bead Chest
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    $29.00
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    Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Saucer)

    in stock

    Admire this unusual strand of bone beads from Kenya. While Kenyan bone beads are common in a variety of shapes and styles, these beads come in a ha...

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    $29.00
    $29.00 - $29.00
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    $25.00
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    Save 14% Save %
  • Dark Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Sphere, Value Strand) - The Bead Chest
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    Dark Brown Kenya Bone Beads (Sphere, Value Strand)

    in stock

    Admire this unusual strand of bone beads from Kenya. While Kenyan bone beads are common in a variety of shapes and styles, these beads come in a ha...

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    $22.00
    $22.00 - $22.00
    $22.00
    $18.00
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  • Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (16mm) - The Bead Chest
    $28.50 - $28.50
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    Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (16mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this beautiful strand of bone mala beads fashioned in a special disk shape. Each of these bone beads was handcarved out of reclaimed...

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    $28.50 - $28.50
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  • Copper-Inlaid Rustic Bone Mala Beads (6mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $24.50
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    $14.00
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    Copper-Inlaid Rustic Bone Mala Beads (6mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this beautiful strand of handmade prayer beads made from bone, inlaid with copper, and strung as a 108-bead mala. Each long strand i...

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    $24.50
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    $14.00
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  • Kenya Brown Bone Beads (Oval) - The Bead Chest
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    Kenya Brown Bone Beads (Oval)

    Only 1 left!

    Admire this unusual strand of bone beads from Kenya. While Kenyan bone beads are common in a variety of shapes and styles, these beads come in a ha...

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    $12.00
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $10.00
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  • Real Snake Vertebrae Beads from Africa (Large) - The Bead Chest
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    Real Snake Vertebrae Beads from Africa (Large)

    in stock

    This is a beautiful strand of interlocking REAL SNAKE VERTEBRAE BEADS imported from Africa. These African beads are known as Snake beads. They date...

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    $85.00 - $85.00
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  • Real Snake Vertebrae Beads from Africa - The Bead Chest
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    Real Snake Vertebrae Beads from Africa

    Only 9 left!

    This is a beautiful strand of interlocking REAL SNAKE VERTEBRAE BEADS imported from Africa. They have a nice antique brown color and makes great fo...

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    $54.00 - $54.00
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  • Brown Bone Disk Beads (12-14mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $39.00
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    Brown Bone Disk Beads (12-14mm)

    in stock

    Subtle and sophisticated, these brown Bone Disk Beads are the perfect subtle addition to any jewelry design. Measuring 12-14mm in diameter, each be...

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  • Mountain Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (13mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Mountain Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (13mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at these striking hand-carved White Bone Disk Mala Beads. Coming with the traditional 108 bead count these Mala strands are great to us...

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    $22.50 - $22.50
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  • Tan Nigerian Camel Bone Beads (Tube) - The Bead Chest
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    $10.00
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    Tan Nigerian Camel Bone Beads (Tube)

    in stock

    These rustic beads are said to be made using recycled camel bone. Each bead is hand-carved into its initial shape. Some are then patterned through...

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    $10.00
    $10.00 - $10.00
    $10.00
    $8.00
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  • Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (13mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Beige Carved Disk Bone Mala Beads (13mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this beautiful strand of bone mala beads fashioned in a special disk shape. Each of these bone beads was hand carved out of reclaime...

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    $22.50 - $22.50
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  • Carved Eye Kenya Brown Bone Beads (Small) - The Bead Chest
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    Carved Eye Kenya Brown Bone Beads (Small)

    in stock

    Admire this beautiful strand of bone beads from Kenya. East African bone beads are handcrafted by artisans using recycled cow bone. Each bead is in...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
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    $12.00
  • Brown Bone Button Beads (8mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $10.00

    Brown Bone Button Beads (8mm)

    in stock

    These natural beads are handcrafted by artisans in the Nepal countryside using recycled bone. The beads are in a special disk shape and resemble bu...

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    $10.00 - $10.00
    $10.00
    $10.00
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    $10.00
  • Brown Carved Triangular Batik Bone Beads - The Bead Chest
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    Brown Carved Triangular Batik Bone Beads

    in stock

    Admire this unusual strand of bone beads from Kenya. While Kenyan bone beads are common in a variety of shapes and styles, these beads come in a ha...

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    $16.50 - $16.50
    $16.50
    $16.50
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    $16.50
African bone beads come from Ghana, Africa.  The design on the black and white bone beads is created through a dying method known as "batik", which is a wax relief process.  These African beads are strung on raffia and worn as is, but many beaders use these beads as the highlight of their creation.

Natural Bone Beads from Africa

Bone beads have a long history on the African continent. Bone is one of several natural materials that have been available in Africa for millennia including wood, stone, and clay. Bone beads have been made throughout the African continent including East, West, and even South Africa. Historically, bone beads may be made from any number of bone sources including ivory from different kinds of animal tusks or antlers. Other natural materials similar to bone used to make beads include horn, ostrich eggshells, marine and freshwater seashells such as clams, and also coral. Bone is unique among bead making materials due to both its strength and because it can be carved by hand and polished into many different shapes and sizes. Bone is also relatively lighter than similar size beads made from glass or metal.

One of the best-known varieties of bone beads is the Mudcloth Bone Batik from East Africa. Kenya in particular is a major producer of Batik Bone Beads. These beads are usually made from Cow or Water Buffalo bone that is first bleached and then patterned. Patterning is achieved by a special method where wax is used to apply a dye based on any one of a number of traditional geometric patterns. These designs may include stripes, dots, swirls, and other decorative motifs. Because each bead is individually patterned, this gives each piece a unique flair. The variety of different Bone Batik design styles makes these beads a versatile addition to any bead or jewelry designer’s bead chest and adds a great natural touch to any project.

Another type of bone bead that is made in Africa is the Snake Vertebrae bead. Believe or not, these beads are actually made from real snakes! Such vertebrae may be the inspiration for other Snake beads that have been made with glass that capture the same characteristic interlocking shape of real vertebrae. Such beads can be a lot of fun to work with. Likewise, fish vertebrae that tend to be more cylindrical and have also been used to make African Beads. Fish Vertebrae beads are amazingly light to wear and can be integrated into many artistic beaded pieces.