Featured Need help identifying vintage beads

These belonged to my great grandmother, so dating from the 50’s? My mom thinks they’re made of china, any further ideas as to make/origin?

I love them and am trying to decide how best to use them. Many have a black mark around the hole, I’m not sure what this is and what is the safest way to try and remove it.

 

I'll risk offering this...don't remove anything until you're sure it doesn't belong, or is really harmful to leave.

They are lovely, and the black may be a legitimate indicator of their artisan and/or place of origin.

Just sayin'...

 

They look like mid 20th century Japanese millefiori glass beads to me:

https://www.earthlyadornments.com/c...intage-japanese-millefiore-rounds-b11-bw-2046




~Cheryl

 

Dragonflywink has ID'd it.

The black marks at the bead opening might even be dirt or a bit of dye from whatever cord it was on previously. It might not show up depending on how you restring them.

I think these would make a lovely necklace! Not sure how many of the white millefiore beads you have, you could add newer beads in between if you need more length. Do you have a bead store anywhere near where you live? They might give you some ideas.

 

Thanks to all for the replies!

I have 100+ beads, I'm trying to remember, maybe originally some of them were made into a rosary? I was thinking to make a necklace/bracelet set. I'm not sure whether I should worry about using glass beads in a bracelet, but I think that's how I'd use them the most and not have them sitting in a drawer.

 

Please post an update to this thread if you do make them into something. They are pretty!

 

Lovely beads. The dark marks in the holes could be, as suggested, rub-off from the previous stringing material, or could be from the mandrel they were fired on. You could pick out one with the black on it and try a q-tip with a mild dish soap solution on it to clean them.

To string you should look for a spacer bead to keep the porcelain beads from rubbing against each other. You could use seed beads, either clear or pick up color(s) in bead design, or use some small metallic spacer beads. I think they might look really good with some coral spacers. You could also string them on beading ribbon or silk ribbon cord, with or without knots between beads.

The cool thing about stringing beads is that you can always take it apart and do something different if you don't like the first effort. Do please let us know what you do with them.

 

That's a Grand idea, elarnia!

 

Aren't they Lovely?

 

I finished repurposing the beads this afternoon. I found some vintage, cherry red whiteheart glass beads on Etsy that I thought would do well as spacers. After cleaning the beads in watery, mild dish soap I made a stretch bracelet and a long strand necklace. I even had enough to make a second stretch bracelet for my mom ❣️

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions, I love how it came together.

 

Wonderful! Great rehab project with your great-grandmother's beads.

 

Well done. It's lovely, and you actually got it done! That's the hardest part.