Krobo powder glass beads are generally made in West Africa, specifically Ghana. These African beads are typically made by members of the Krobo tribe starting as early as the 1900's. Krobo beads are made from powder glass, which comes from finely ground glass most commonly made out of recycled broken bottles and other scrap glasses.

These beautiful glass beads are made in vertical molds. Each mold is filled with finely ground glass which is layered to create different colorful designs. The beads are fired in clay kilns until the reycled glass fuses.

Powder glass beads made by the Krobo tribe

Krobo beads are usually made in West Africa, especially in Ghana. The Krobo tribe has been making these beads since the nineteen century. Krobo beads are created from powder glass that comes from ground glass. These are basically made from recycled and reused scrap glasses or broken glass bottles. In vertical molds these beads are made. First, mold is filled with ground glass particles and then layered with various colorful designs. These beads are then melted until it gets locked with the recycled glass. One of the most important things that are being used to in the furnace is cassava leaf stems. Krobo beads come in 3 different styles and they are fused glass fragment beads, two halve beads and the writing beads. In fused glass beads large glass bottles or glass fragments are fused to each other and given final shape after treatment in furnace. After this procedure they are shaped in different styles and shapes.

Two halve beads can be bicones or in spherical shapes and are made from pulverized glass materials. After a treatment in fire the two halves are joined to each other and then given shape. Writing beads are also known as Mue ne Angma and are created from pure ground glass and then they are fused. All these three different styles of Krobo beads are made very carefully, as over heating may destroy the glass and only carbon residue will be left. These beads are really famous and you can easily get them in the market. These African beads are really unique and most of the tribal people in this part of the world love to wear it. Krobo beads from Africa are being exported to different parts of world. Some of the most common places are Venice, Turkey, USA, India and other countries. Nowadays, people use these beads as ornaments and other types of accessories.

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