Old Russian Blue Faceted Glass Beads

Admire this magnificent strand of old Russian Blue beads. Beads such as these derive their name from the fact that they were traded extensively in the fur trade of the Pacific Northwest during the 18th and 19th century. Both Russian fur traders and representatives of the Hudson Bay Company are known to have used Russian Blue beads to trade with native tribespeople of the Americas. Interestingly, beads such as these were original made in Bohemia and Czechoslavakia where specialty bead-makers harnessed the power of running streams to refine the art of crafting hand-faceted beads. The beads they produced subsequently found their way across the Pacific Ocean and also to the Southern Hemisphere and Africa. This particular strand is consists of larger beads in a darker shade of blue. The dark shades of these graduated beads are the most highly coveted. This strand is indeed a special find!