White Heart Beads

Traditional white heart beads are compound bi-layered glass beads that are characterized by an opaque white or yellow colored core and a translucent red-shaded coating. They come in a number of different shapes such as round, tubular, oval, bicone, or sliced. Similarly styled Whiteheart beads are known as Cornaline D’Aleppo and Hudson Bay White Heart Beads that were traded with Native Americans in North America during the period of the fur trade. While the greatest production of White Heart Trade Beads was during the 1800s, various forms of the White Heart Bead have been in existence since the 15th century. White Heart Beads are believed to be primarily of Venetian and Czech origin however French varieties are also known to exist. Additionally, due to heavy and sustained bead trade during the last few centuries, many such beads have found their way to various parts of the African Continent, especially West Africa.