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Ghana Beads
Ghana is home to the largest bead markets in Africa. Below are African beads imported from Ghana. Trade beads have a long history in the West African country of Ghana. In fact, Ghana beads were once a form of national currency and were used to purchase many different kinds of goods including alcohol, slaves, and even textiles. The production of beads in Ghana was first documented over 200 years ago however evidence of bead production extends over two thousand years. Due to their use in trade, beads in Ghana may have a wide variety of origins that trace ancient and modern trade routes including Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Modern Ghana overlaps with the terrain of the ancient Ghana Empire.
A number of bead varieties are locally produced in Ghana. These include recycled glass beads that are made from empty glass bottles, seashell beads, as well as Krobo beads. The manufacturing of recycled beads is one way that the people of Ghana use traditional inspiration to bring new uses to old materials. The process involves breaking used bottles in pieces that are then melted and shaped using clay molds designed with the desired shape in mind. Beads may be washed in sand and then painted with designs.
Similarly, Ghana is one of the most important countries for the manufacture of Krobo beads. This name Krobo, is derived from the fact that a great deal of the powdered glass beads in Ghana are produced Krobo artisans. However craftsmen from the Ashanti ethnic group are also heavily involved in this production. Beads continue to play a role in traditional Krobo culture where they are used for many different ceremonies such as birth, marriage, death, and coming of age rituals such as Dipo where girls where a large number of beads and perform special dances. African beads are also used as a symbol of status and are worn by community leaders and chiefs.
In recent years, there has been a revival in the use of trade beads in Ghana so much so that young people are wearing them as an expression of pride in African tradition. Interestingly, the different colors that are used in the design of beads have different symbolism such as blue that represents purity, white that represents fertility, and gold that represents wealth.
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Matte Translucent Sea Blue Ghana Glass Seed Beads (4mm)
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Add a sparkling and translucent accent to your custom design projects with these great Sea Blue Seed Beads. Handcrafted by local artisans in Ghana,...
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Turquoise Blue Sandcast Seed Beads
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Checkout this beautiful strand of turquoise color sandcast beads from Ghana, West Africa. Beads such as these are often worn as traditional waist b...
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Opaque Black Rondelle Recycled Glass Beads
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From the villages of Ghana, these beautiful recycled glass beads are made by artisan craftspeople 100% by hand. The beads themselves are made using...
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Groundhog Grey Recycled Glass Beads (11mm)
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These great beads are made by the Krobo People of Ghana, Africa. Powder glass beads are made by crushing glass to a fine powder and heating it so t...
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Watermelon Pink Vinyl Phono Record Beads (4mm)
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Take a look at this beautiful strand of African vinyl beads in a pink color. Beads such as these are found in Ghana and Nigeria where they are some...
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Rainbow Speckled Recycled Glass Beads (18mm)
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Recycled glass beads are a type of indigenously produced African bead from Ghana West Africa. These beautiful green color recycled beads are made u...
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Coral Color Sandcast Cylinder Beads
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Checkout this beautiful strand of African sandcast. The process of making these beads is unique to Africa and has been used for over 1000 years. P...
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Grey Ashanti Glass Saucer Beads (14mm)
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Checkout this beautiful strand of grey Ashanti glass saucer beads. The process of making these beads is unique to Africa and has been used for over...
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Sapphire Blue Vinyl Phono Record Beads (4mm)
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Take a look at this beautiful strand of African vinyl beads in a blue color. Beads such as these are found in Ghana and Nigeria where they are some...
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Black Kente Krobo Beads (14mm)
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A beautiful strand of powder glass African beads, made by the people of Krobo Mountain in Ghana, West Africa. Many designs of Krobo beads are patte...
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Jumbo Green Recycled Glass Beads (23mm)
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Take a look at this exceptionally large strand of jumbo-sized green recycled glass beads. Large beads such as these are hard to find and even harde...
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Azul Recycled Glass Beads (7mm)
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Recycled glass beads are a type of indigenously produced African bead from Ghana West Africa. These beautiful blue color recycled beads are made us...
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Magenta Vinyl Phono Record Beads (4mm)
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Take a look at this beautiful strand of magenta African vinyl beads. Beads such as these are found in Ghana and Nigeria where they are sometimes wo...
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Clear Amber Ghana Glass Beads (2 Strands)
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Two strands of amber color translucent glass beads from Ghana. Each bead measures approximately 4mm diameter with strand length of 26". Some variat...
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Orange Ashanti Glass Saucer Beads (14mm)
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Checkout this beautiful strand of orange Ashanti glass saucer beads. The process of making these beads is unique to Africa and has been used for ov...
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Green Ghana Glass Beads (2 Strands)
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Two long strands of green color small glass beads from Africa. Each bead measures approximately 4mm in diameter by 3mm in length. Some variation in...
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Azul Recycled Glass Beads (11mm)
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Recycled glass beads are a type of indigenously produced African bead from Ghana West Africa. These beautiful azul color recycled beads are made us...
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Light Red Ghana Glass Beads (2 Strands)
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Two strands of red color small glass beads from Ghana. Each bead measures approximately 3 x 4mm with strand length of 25". Some variation in indivi...
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Blue Medley Ashanti Glass Saucer Beads
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Checkout this beautiful strand of blue medley Ashanti glass saucer beads. Get multiple colors for the price of one! The process of making these bea...
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Vintage Czech Turquoise Cylinder Beads (6mm)
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These vintage cylinder-shaped beads are a colorful shade of turquoise blue. The large 2mm hole makes them well suited for thicker stringing materia...
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Light Green Recycled Glass Beads (7mm)
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Take a look at this beautiful strand of green recycled glass beads. These beads are unusually small, in a hard-to-find 7mm size. Great for bracelet...
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Blue Medley Ghana Glass Seed Beads (4mm)
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Beautiful strand of mixed blue glass seed beads from Ghana, strung on a traditional raffia string. Each bead measures approximately 3-4 x 4mm with ...
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Pistachio Green Ashanti Glass Saucer Beads (14mm)
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Checkout this beautiful strand of green Ashanti glass saucer beads. The process of making these beads is unique to Africa and has been used for ove...
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Tangerine Orange Kente Krobo Beads (14mm)
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Ghana is known for its history of traditional bead-making. These beautiful powder glass beads are made by Krobo tribe people using centuries-old te...
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