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Metal Beads

  • Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
    Original price $9.00
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    Faceted Gold Triangle Heishi Beads (4mm, 16 inch Strand)

    Out of stock

    Create dazzling jewelry designs with these bright and triangular, gold colored heishi beads! These striking beads are highly versatile and can be u...

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    Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
    Original price $9.00
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  • Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
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    Ethiopian Bezeled Silver Saucer Beads (18mm, 16 Inch Strand)

    Out of stock

    These great silver saucer-shaped beads are bold and versatile. Each bead measures approximately 12 x 18mm, with a hole size of 2.5mm. Strands measu...

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    Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
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  • Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
    Original price $69.00
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    Brass Rectangular Dotted Baule Beads (54x41mm)

    Out of 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
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  • Original price $24.50 - Original price $24.50
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    Brass Tuareg Cornerless Cube Beads (7mm)

    Out of stock

    Admire these exceptional cube-like beads with designs that originates from the Tuareg people of Mali in West Africa. The Tuareg are a desert tribe ...

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    Original price $24.50 - Original price $24.50
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  • Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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    Current price $14.00
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    Silver Beveled Barrel Beads (7x5mm)

    Out of stock

    We love the stylish design of these Silver Beveled Barrel Beads. Made from high-quality white metal these beads are versatile and look great when m...

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    Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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  • Original price $26.00
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    Current price $22.00
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    Rounded Shiny Silver Nugget Beads (6mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of white metal beads fashioned in a nugget shape. Each strand is 24" inches long with approximately 105 beads meas...

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    Original price $26.00
    Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
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    Current price $22.00
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  • Original price $29.00 - Original price $29.00
    Original price $29.00
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    Brass Skull Beads (14x12mm)

    Out of stock

    These brass skull beads are casted using solid metal and hand polished to perfection. Take note and you will see they are higher quality than most ...

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    Original price $29.00 - Original price $29.00
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  • Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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    Silver Flat Disk Heishi Beads (4mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a moment to admire these chic silver disk heishi beads. The flat shape of these heishi beads makes them a fun and handy bead to use when creat...

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    Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Brass Mini Baule Charm Beads (Double Strand Necklace)

    Out of stock

    Admire this beautiful double stranded necklace of miniature Baule-style charms. These brass charm beads are great for ethnic jewelry or can be worn...

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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  • Original price $29.00 - Original price $29.00
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    Copper Skull Beads (14x12mm)

    Out of stock

    These copper skull beads are casted using solid metal and hand polished to perfection. Take note and you will see they are higher quality than most...

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    Original price $29.00 - Original price $29.00
    Original price $29.00
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
    Original price $49.00
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    Silver Rounded Rectangular Hollow Tribal Beads (18mm)

    Out of stock

    Admire this unusual strand of tribal silver 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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  • Original price $7.50
    Original price $7.50 - Original price $7.50
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    Current price $5.00
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    Brass Rounded Rectangle Beads (2mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of brass beads fashioned in a cube shape. Each strand is 22" inches long with approximately 288 beads measuring ap...

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    Original price $7.50
    Original price $7.50 - Original price $7.50
    Original price $7.50
    Current price $5.00
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  • Original price $7.50 - Original price $7.50
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    Traditional Copper Sun Baule Bead Pendant (75x65mm)

    Out of 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 $7.50 - Original price $7.50
    Original price $7.50
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
    Original price $49.00
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    Brass Rounded Rectangular Hollow Tribal Beads (18mm)

    Out of stock

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

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    Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
    Original price $49.00
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  • Original price $18.50 - Original price $18.50
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    Copper Patterned Diamond Cut Beads (9mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this great strand of copper beads fashioned in a faceted shape. These beads are an unusually large size of our popular diamond cut b...

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    Original price $18.50 - Original price $18.50
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  • Original price $9.00
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    Current price $6.00
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    Brass Rounded Rectangle Beads (3x2mm)

    Out of stock

    Beautiful strand of high quality, ethnic brass beads measuring 26" in length. Individual beads measure approximately 2.8mm wide by 2.3mm in diamete...

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    Original price $9.00
    Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
    Original price $9.00
    Current price $6.00
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  • Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
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    Aluminum Mursi Rondelle Ring Beads (16mm)

    Out of stock

    These tribal aluminum beads are made in a design traditional to the Mursi people. The Mursi are a pastoralist tribe who live in various parts of Et...

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    Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
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  • Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
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    Copper Sphere Hollow Tribal Beads (18mm)

    Out of 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
    Original price $49.00
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    Current price $49.00
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  • Original price $24.50 - Original price $24.50
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    Silver Sun & Moon Baule Beads (22x14mm)

    Out of stock

    These beautiful silver 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 $24.50 - Original price $24.50
    Original price $24.50
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  • Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
    Original price $12.00
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    Copper Patterned Rondelle Beads (4mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at this high quality copper rondelle beads. Each artisan strand measures in at about 24" in length. Each bead is approximately 2.5 x 4m...

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    Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
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  • Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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    Copper Disk Beads (4mm)

    Out of stock

    Beautiful strand of high quality, ethnic copper beads measuring 24" in length. Individual beads measure approximately 2 x 4mm in size, with holes m...

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    Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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  • Original price $16.50 - Original price $16.50
    Original price $16.50
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    Silver Square Disk Heishi Beads (3mm)

    Out of stock

    Brighten up your designs with these great Silver Square Heishi Beads. The flat shape of these beads makes them highly versatile and they may be use...

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    Original price $16.50 - Original price $16.50
    Original price $16.50
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  • Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00
    Current price $14.00
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    Current price $14.00

    Copper Beveled Barrel Beads (7x5mm)

    Out of stock

    Take a look at these lovely strands of high-quality copper beads. The interesting Beveled Barrel shape of these Copper beads makes them highly vers...

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    Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
    Original price $15.00
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    Faceted Silver Oval Beads (9x6mm)

    Out of stock

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

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    Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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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.