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  • Original price $8.50 - Original price $8.50
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    Rooster Copper Sun Baule Bead Pendant (79x69mm)

    in stock

    This beautiful copper bead is hand casted in the design of the traditional "Baule sun" from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule ...

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    Original price $8.50 - Original price $8.50
    Original price $8.50
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  • Original price $24.50 - Original price $24.50
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    Copper Interlocking Snake Beads (4.5mm)

    in stock

    Patterned after vertebrae of the natural snake, these beautiful interlocking snake beads are unique to behold. Each bead measures approximately 3 x...

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    Original price $24.50 - Original price $24.50
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  • Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
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    Copper Tuareg Cornerless Cube Beads (7mm)

    in stock

    Admire these exceptional cube-like beads made in a design that originates from the Tuareg people of Mali, West Africa. The Tuareg are a desert tri...

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    Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
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  • Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
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    Brass Double Sun Dotted Baule Beads (49x36mm)

    in stock

    These beautiful brass beads are hand casted in a traditional design from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (also known as Baou...

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    Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00
    Current price $65.00
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  • Original price $22.50 - Original price $22.50
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    Antiqued Copper Interlocking Snake Beads (4.5mm)

    in stock

    Patterned after vertebrae of the natural snake, these beautiful interlocking metal snake beads are unique to behold. Each bead measures approximate...

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    Original price $22.50 - Original price $22.50
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    Round Aluminum Beads (10mm)

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    These elegant aluminum beads are classy and versatile. Aluminum is a common choice for jewelry designers because it is lighter in weight and known ...

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  • Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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    Dark Silver Flat Disk Heishi Beads (12mm)

    in stock

    These Silver Heishi Beads will make a striking addition to your beading projects and jewelry designs. Each bead is perfectly flat with a smooth, po...

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    Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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  • Original price $5.99 - Original price $5.99
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    Brass Hollow Cornerless Cube Bead (40mm)

    in stock

    This beautiful bead is handcrafted in the highest of quality. Made using durable metal, its thick outer layer and hollow center make it a great ce...

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    Original price $5.99 - Original price $5.99
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  • Original price $26.50
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    Copper Baule Sun & Moon Beads (27x20mm)

    in stock

    These beautiful copper beads are hand casted in the design of traditional Baule beads from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (...

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    Original price $26.50
    Original price $26.50 - Original price $26.50
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    Copper Fancy Diamond Cut Beads (6mm)

    in stock

    Take a look at this great strand of metal beads fashioned in a faceted diamond cube shape. Each bead measures approximately 9 x 6mm, with a hole si...

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  • Original price $59.00 - Original price $59.00
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    Silver Traditional Sun Baule Beads (54x46mm)

    in stock

    These beautiful silver beads are hand casted in a traditional design from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (also known as Bao...

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    Original price $59.00 - Original price $59.00
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  • Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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    Antique Copper Flat Disk Heishi Beads (12mm)

    in stock

    These excellent copper Flat Disk Beads will make a great addition to your jewelry making kit. Each bead measures approximately 0.3 x 12mm, with a h...

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    Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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  • Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
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    Circle-Pattern Rectangular Baule Brass Beads (24x20mm)

    in stock

    These beautiful brass beads are hand casted in the design of traditional Baule beads from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (a...

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    Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Copper Dotted Diamond Cut Hollow Tribal Beads (18mm)

    in stock

    Admire this unusual strand of tribal copper beads. Look carefully to see the high quality of the workmanship, smooth finish, and rustic character. ...

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Faceted Brass Oval Beads (9x6mm)

    in stock

    Beautiful strand of uniquely shaped brass beads. These beads have been fashioned in a faceted oval shape. They will add a glamorous touch to your b...

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    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Ethiopian Copper Saucer Beads (24mm)

    in stock

    These great saucer-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 15 x 24mm, with a hole size of 1-2mm. Strands measure 24" ...

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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  • Original price $55.00 - Original price $55.00
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    Ethiopian Wired Dark Silver Bicone Beads (22x16mm)

    in stock

    These great bicone-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 22-24 x 16mm, with a hole size of 5mm. Strands measure 24"...

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    Original price $55.00 - Original price $55.00
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  • Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
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    Silver Double Sun Dotted Baule Beads (49x36mm)

    in stock

    These beautiful silver beads are hand casted in a traditional design from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (also known as Bao...

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    Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00
    $69.00
    $69.00 - $69.00
    Current price $69.00
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    Silver Sun Dotted Baule Beads (55x45mm)

    Only 10 left!

    These beautiful silver beads are hand casted in a traditional design from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (also known as Bao...

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    Original price $59.00 - Original price $59.00
    Original price $59.00
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    Current price $59.00
  • Original price $8.50 - Original price $8.50
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    Rooster Silver Sun Baule Bead Pendant (79x69mm)

    Only 10 left!

    This beautiful silver bead is hand casted in the design of the traditional "Baule sun" from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule ...

    View full details
    Original price $8.50 - Original price $8.50
    Original price $8.50
    $8.50
    $8.50 - $8.50
    Current price $8.50
  • Original price $55.00 - Original price $55.00
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    Ethiopian Wired Copper Bicone Beads (22x16mm)

    Only 9 left!

    These great bicone-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 22-24 x 16mm, with a hole size of 5mm. Strands measure 24"...

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    Original price $55.00 - Original price $55.00
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  • Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
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    Silver Lattice Rectangular Baule Beads (45x36mm)

    Only 9 left!

    These beautiful silver beads are hand casted in a traditional design from the Ivory Coast. Increasingly difficult to find, Baule (also known as Bao...

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    Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00
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    Current price $69.00
  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Brass Mali Bicone Beads (22x16mm)

    Only 8 left!

    These great bicone-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 22-23 x 16-17mm, with a hole size of 6mm. Strands measure ...

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Copper Mali Bicone Beads (26x20mm)

    Only 8 left!

    These great bicone-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 26 x 20mm, with a hole size of 6mm. Strand length is about...

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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Ornate and beautiful, African Metal Beads have long been an expressive art medium for indigenous tribes of the Southern and Eastern Capes. Their versatility as both a currency and symbol of status has vastly improved the fortunes of many impoverished regions, and borne an art form that continues to be imparted by ancestors to younger generations. Focal African Copper Beads are thought to be among the earliest formats produced using the “lost wax” method; an ancient Tuareg technique involving the use of hollow wax molds to shape and set molten metal. Ductile and soft, copper is one of the easiest metals to manipulate into elaborate shapes, which is why you'll find the vast majority of Copper Beads here at The Bead Chest are characterised by intricate designs and filigree work. Ethiopian Heishi Beads produced prior to the 1950's also utilised this method, and historians suggest the ancient Tuareg technique may have paved the way for the cage-like Baoule Brass Beads now produced in abundance along the Ivory Coast. Africa's popular White Metal Beads are a more recent innovation. They are commonly produced using recyclable alloys, such as aluminium, sourced from discarded cans and industrial roofing. Metal Beads tend to be far less elaborate in character than their copper counterparts owing to the process by which they are made. Both Tube and Heishi Beads are produced using the “winding” technique – a process whereby the metal is heated until malleable, before winding it around a mandrel and hammering it into shape. This technique allows for greater uniformity when crafting smaller beads, making them ideal for bead-weaving and peyote style projects.