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Clay Beads

  • Black & White Oblong Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $18.50 - $18.50
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    Black & White Oblong Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of Black & White Terracotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation. However, the size of beads are...

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    $18.50 - $18.50
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  • Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Medallions (17x45mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $32.00 - $32.00
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    Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Medallions (17x45mm)

    Out of stock

    This beautiful strand of large Mali Terracotta Medallion beads is handmade with each bead individually inscribed with traditional patterns. It is ...

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    $32.00 - $32.00
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  • Black Terracotta Oval Mali Clay Beads (Tribal) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
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    Black Terracotta Oval Mali Clay Beads (Tribal)

    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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    $14.00 - $14.00
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  • Traditional Black Patterned Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $30.00 - $30.00
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    Traditional Black Patterned Terracotta Beads

    Out of stock

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

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    $30.00 - $30.00
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  • Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Beads (12mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Beads (12mm)

    in stock

    Amazing strand of Natural Terracotta beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern however the size of t...

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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    $14.00
  • Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder) - The Bead Chest
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    $8.50
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    Natural Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder)

    Out of stock

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

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    $8.50
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    $6.00
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  • Natural Terracotta Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $16.95 - $16.95
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    Natural Terracotta Beads

    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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    $16.95 - $16.95
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  • Mali Clay Spindle Beads (Round) - The Bead Chest
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    $45.00 - $45.00
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    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.

    $45.00 - $45.00
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  • Yellow Moroccan Pottery Beads - The Bead Chest
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    Yellow Moroccan Pottery Beads

    Out of stock

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

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    $8.50 - $8.50
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  • Amazonite Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle) - The Bead Chest
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    Amazonite Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle)

    in stock

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

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    $14.00 - $14.00
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  • Moroccan Vintage Clay Beads (Large) - The Bead Chest
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    $39.00
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    $34.00
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    Moroccan Vintage Clay Beads (Large)

    Out of stock

    This is a great strand of clay beads from the Berber region of Morocco. Each bead measures 20-23mm in diameter by 10-12mm thick. This is an extra l...

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    $39.00
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    $34.00
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  • Natural Oblong Mali Terracotta Beads (35x18mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $19.00 - $19.00
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    Natural Oblong Mali Terracotta Beads (35x18mm)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of natural color terracotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each of these unusual bead may show slight variation in size and pattern...

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    $19.00 - $19.00
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  • Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (30x12mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Oval Beads (30x12mm)

    Out of stock

    Amazing strand of natural terracotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern however, the size of t...

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    $14.00
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    $10.00
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  • Antique Mali Clay Spindle Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $95.00 - $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
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  • Turquoise Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder) - The Bead Chest
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    Turquoise Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder)

    in stock

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

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    $8.50 - $8.50
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  • Deep Blue Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle - 17mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Deep Blue Moroccan Pottery Beads (Rondelle - 17mm)

    Out of stock

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

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Old Mali Clay Spindle Gumdrop Beads (Unique) - The Bead Chest
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    $89.00 - $89.00
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    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
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  • Terracotta Black & White Eye Beads - The Bead Chest
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    $29.00
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    $19.50
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    Terracotta Black & White Eye Beads

    Out of stock

    Known as thousand eye beads, the white dots represent eyes to protect from the evil eye. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may have a different ...

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    $29.00
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    $19.50
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  • Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Beads (16mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Natural Terracotta Mali Clay Beads (16mm)

    in stock

    Amazing strand of natural terracotta beads. Beautifully handcrafted, each round bead may show slight variation in size and pattern however, the siz...

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    $21.00 - $21.00
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  • South African Round Natural Clay Beads (Traditional) - The Bead Chest
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    $59.00 - $59.00
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    South African Round Natural Clay Beads (Traditional)

    Out of stock

    These African clay beads were made by independent artisans in South Africa. After shaping the beads, traditional motifs and patterns are oftentimes...

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    $59.00 - $59.00
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  • Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder) - The Bead Chest
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    $8.50
    $8.50 - $8.50
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    $6.00
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    Black Moroccan Pottery Beads (Cylinder)

    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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    $8.50
    $8.50 - $8.50
    $8.50
    $6.00
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    Save 29% Save %
  • Black Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone beads (17mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $16.00 - $16.00
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    Black Terracotta Mali Clay Bicone beads (17mm)

    Out of stock

    Nice strand of black terra cotta clay beads. Beautifully hand crafted, each bead may show slight variation in size and pattern with individual bead...

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    $16.00 - $16.00
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  • Amazonite Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round - 16mm) - The Bead Chest
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    Amazonite Moroccan Pottery Beads (Round - 16mm)

    Out of stock

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

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    $14.00 - $14.00
    $14.00
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  • Oval Black Mali Clay Beads (24x10mm) - The Bead Chest
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    $14.00 - $14.00
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    Oval Black Mali Clay Beads (24x10mm)

    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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    $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.