BEADS

 

A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as glass, plastic, or wood, and that is pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 millimetre (0.039 in) to over 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewelries.^. Beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized thread, strung onto thread or soft, flexible wire, or adhered to a surface e.g. Fabric and clay.

Traditional glass beads of Ghana are often referred to as Krobo beads, the Krobo Mountains being the main area of production. These beads are made from recycled glass. Bottles and other glass items are first washed and sorted by colours. They are then broken into small fragments for making translucent beads, or pounded with a metal mortar and pestle, and sieved to get a very fine powder for making powder glass beads. Glass powder of different colours is obtained using ceramic dyes.

Beads may be divided into several types of overlapping categories based on different criteria such as the materials from which they are made, the process used in their manufacturing, the place or period of origin, the patterns on their surface, or their general shape.

Beads can be made of many different materials. The earliest beads were made of a variety of natural materials which, after they were gathered, could be readily drilled and shaped. As humans became capable of obtaining and working with more difficult materials, those materials were added to the range of available substances. More recently, synthetic materials were added. In modern manufacturing, the most common bead materials are wood, plastic, glass, metal, and stone.

In many parts of the world, beads are used for symbolic purposes, for example: use for prayer - e.g. rosary beads, use for anti-tension devices, e.g. worry beads, use as currency e.g. Aggrey beads from Ghana, use for gaming e.g. owari beads for mankala, Greek komboloi beads as in Crete. It also provides employment opportunities; it serves as decoration, fashion, provides income, tourist attraction, foreign exchange and lastly promotes Ghanaian culture.