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Clay Beads

  • White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
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    White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle)

    in stock

    These white pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but mea...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
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  • Black Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone Beads (16mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Black Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone Beads (16mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this beautiful strand of black terra cotta mali claybeads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
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    $12.00

    White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round)

    in stock

    These white pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but mea...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
  • Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (12mm) - The Bead Chest
    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
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    Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (12mm)

    in stock

    These black pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but mea...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
    $12.00
    $12.00
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    $12.00
  • Natural Oblong Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $14.95 - $14.95
    $14.95
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    Natural Oblong Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of Natural Terracotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation and may vary. However, the size of beads ...

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    $14.95 - $14.95
    $14.95
    $14.95
    $14.95 - $14.95
    $14.95
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  • Mali Clay Spindle Disk Beads (Tribal Design) - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
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    Mali Clay Spindle Disk Beads (Tribal Design)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. Each s...

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    $45.00 - $45.00
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  • Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Gumdrop) - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
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    Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Gumdrop)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. Designs...

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    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
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  • Cobalt Blue Patterned Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
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    Cobalt Blue Patterned Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of authentic Cobalt Blue Terracotta Clay Beads from Ghana. These great strands include a medley of shapes including round, bicone, c...

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    $45.00 - $45.00
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  • Turquoise Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle) - The Bead Chest
    $14.00 - $14.00
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    Turquoise Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle)

    in stock

    These turquoise pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
    $14.00
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    $14.00
  • White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rectangle) - The Bead Chest
    $8.50 - $8.50
    $8.50
    $8.50
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    $8.50

    White Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rectangle)

    in stock

    These white pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but mea...

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    $8.50 - $8.50
    $8.50
    $8.50
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  • Old Mali Clay Spindle Gumdrop Beads (Unique) - The Bead Chest
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    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00
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    $89.00

    Old Mali Clay Spindle Gumdrop Beads (Unique)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
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  • Patterned Mali Clay Spindle Bicone Beads (27x25mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $55.00 - $55.00
    $55.00
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    Patterned Mali Clay Spindle Bicone Beads (27x25mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of black colored terracotta beads from Mali. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size...

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    $55.00 - $55.00
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  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $95.00
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    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $85.00
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  • Dogon Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
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    $26.50 - $26.50
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    $26.50

    Dogon Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Round)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. Shape ...

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    $26.50 - $26.50
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  • Cuneiform Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Bicone) - The Bead Chest
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    $49.00 - $49.00
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    Cuneiform Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Bicone)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. A few be...

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    $49.00 - $49.00
    $49.00
    $49.00
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  • Turquoise Egyptian Soapstone Scarab Beads (Set of 5) - The Bead Chest
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    $1.99 - $1.99
    $1.99
    $1.99
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    $1.99

    Turquoise Egyptian Soapstone Scarab Beads (Set of 5)

    Out of stock

    Take a second to admire these lovely Turquoise Egyptian Soapstone Scarab Beads. Scarab style beads have been used in jewelry designs for 100s of ye...

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    $1.99 - $1.99
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  • Super Jumbo Antique Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $365.00
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    $285.00
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    Super Jumbo Antique Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This authentic strand of antique clay spindle beads is from Nigeria, West Africa. These are original spindle beads that were used as apart of a loo...

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    $365.00
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    $285.00
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  • Sunflower Yellow Patterned Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
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    $45.00

    Sunflower Yellow Patterned Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of authentic Yellow Terracotta Clay Beads from Ghana. These great strands include a medley of shapes including round, bicone, cylind...

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    $45.00 - $45.00
    $45.00
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  • Natural Terracotta Beads (Large) - The Bead Chest
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    Natural Terracotta Beads (Large)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of Natural Terracotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation. However, the size of beads are fairly un...

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    $25.00 - $25.00
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  • Rouge Red Moroccan Pottery Beads (12mm) - The Bead Chest
    $12.00 - $12.00
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    $12.00

    Rouge Red Moroccan Pottery Beads (12mm)

    Only 4 left!

    These red pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary slightly but measu...

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    $12.00 - $12.00
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  • Traditional Kenya Clay Beads (Cylinder) - The Bead Chest
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    $9.00 - $9.00
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    Traditional Kenya Clay Beads (Cylinder)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this nice strand of cylindrical clay beads from Kenya. This traditional design features a beautiful black and white contrast.

    $9.00 - $9.00
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  • Old Mali Clay Spindle Gumdrop Beads (Unique) - The Bead Chest
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    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00

    Old Mali Clay Spindle Gumdrop Beads (Unique)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

    View full details
    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00
    $89.00 - $89.00
    $89.00
    Sold out
  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
    Sold out
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
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    $95.00

    Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of Mali Spindle Whorl beads is handmade with clay and individually inscribed. It is made by the Dogon tribe of Mali. This is ...

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    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00
    $95.00 - $95.00
    $95.00
    Sold out
  • Serpentine Green Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round -11mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
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    $14.00

    Serpentine Green Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round -11mm)

    Out of stock

    These serpentine green color pottery beads are characteristic of Berber jewelry from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Individual bead sizes may vary...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
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African Clay Beads are among the earliest bead formats known to man, many archeological finds pre-dating the famous shell hoard of the Blombus Cave on Africa's Southern Cape by as much as 20,000 years. But while tribes in the South and West of Africa have a long affiliation with clay bead production, it is the Dogon tribes of Bandiagara in Mali who are modernly revered for their beautiful black clay creations. Distinguished by their charcoal coloration and elaborate milgrain-like detailing, Mali Clay Spindle Whorl Beads were originally intended for use as currency among trans-Saharan merchants. Their value to merchants was determined by their coloration – the darker the beads, the higher their net worth.

Clay Beads from Mali are distinguishable from other beads in Africa by their coloration. Most natural clay found in Africa is of a reddish-brown hue, however, in the cliffs of Bandiagara, it is near black. Modern crafters often manipulate the hue by adding ground ash, charcoal and the remnants of other pottery or china to the ground down clay mixture. Water, oil and tree gum are added to the mixture to help it adhere during firing, and the clay is then fashioned into a conical spindle whorl shape. Designs are carved into the surface using a hacksaw blade or shard of glass, and the beads are then fired in an open charcoal brazier. Once cool, they are immersed in a whitewash several times before they are left to dry. Excess paint is gently rubbed off using a cloth, leaving just the carved areas decorated. Red clay beads produced by the Zarma people are made using a very similar technique, but although beautiful, they aren't nearly as popular as their black counterparts.