Glass Slices, Vintage Bohemian, Yellow & Blue, 3.5x5.5mm on 16-inch Strand

Antique or vintage Bohemian (now Czech Republic) glass slices Yellow & Blue glass glass mixed together and molded into 3.5x5.5mm slices/discs Sometimes called "Flower Beads" or "Kakamba" in Africa these are not Prosser beads as some vendors assert. They are regular molded Czech glass beads, in which yellow and blue glass are partially mixed, but not completely integrated, so that the colors remain distinct rather than blending. The original beads of this type were designed to imitate stone or shell. For example light and dark red with some black swirled for "Agate" look or translucent light and dark amber with black glass for "tortoise shell" look etc. The beads became so popular throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s in Africa that increasing bright colors were added to the line. You can often find some strands of these beads in our Small African Strands Sub-Category of African Beads. I'm showing this one here so you can see what they look like strung. From the collection of Joyce Diamanti, bead researcher, writer and educator.