Trade Bead Strand

This strand is an excellent example of the combination of King beads and old trade beads, probably dating to the early 1800's. The majority of the King beads -- the bicones -- are rust colored with blue and white stripes; there are also several green with red stripes and yellow with green and blue stripes. Most of the other old beads are companions to the rust colored Kings; many of them are the same rust color with blue and white stripes. The main difference between these and the King beads is their oval shape, most of which are between 3/4 to 1 inch in length. This strand is a very long 40 inches. Some of the beads are pitted, some have chunks missing, and show their age in different ways. But it is a delightful strand that most people would be proud to have in their collection.