this is an amazing bracelet strung from many different colors and shaped of czech glass, made in bohemia in the czech republic. you can read more about the cottage industry here http://www.bigbeadlittlebead.com/guides_and_information/history_of_czech_glass_beads.php
the clasp is made of solid copper, and i just love the craft of it!
the waves squares are particularly rare, see if you can google any up! i have tried, these are my last ones, sob! what happens is the small villages and factories where these are made do small runs, so supply can sometimes be very small. this is where i got them from, but lo they are now out of stock!
so get this bracelet while it is available!
the beads look very organic due to a process called "picasso" where the beads are made first in long rods and then cut to make beads. or, in the case of the wavy squares they may be pressed in a mold. they are then coated with more molted glass of a different color, then the color is rubbed off to create this marvellous texture.
the czech glass industry is under serious pressure from the chinese, and some of the larger factories have sold their equipment to china. i like to buy czech also for the reason that i feel i am helping craftspeople, even if they work in a small factory, who produce a unique item not made anywhere else.
these may be my favorite kind of bead ...
