The History of Beads: A Love Story That Spans Thousands of Years

There’s something truly special about beads—they’ve captured my heart completely. I’m endlessly inspired by their colors, textures, sparkle, and even their little imperfections. But what really deepens that love for me is their history. Beads are one of the oldest forms of human creativity. Since the very beginning of time, people have picked up shells and stones, strung them together, and worn them as personal treasures. It’s amazing to think that something I work with every day has been used for tens of thousands of years by people in every corner of the world.

The oldest known beads—small shell beads found in Morocco—date back over 100,000 years. That’s right. Humans were making jewelry before we were even building houses. In ancient times, beads weren’t just pretty—they carried meaning. They marked status, held spiritual significance, protected the wearer, and were often used as currency.

Throughout history, beads have traveled farther than most people ever did.

• In Ancient Egypt, glass and gemstone beads like carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise were worn by royalty and buried with the dead to ensure a safe journey to the afterlife.
• The Romans refined glass bead-making to an art and traded their creations across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• In Africa, beads were made from bone, metal, shell, and clay—and later, traded beads like Venetian glass became symbols of wealth and cultural identity.
• The Indus Valley Civilization produced etched carnelian beads around 2500 BCE—some of the finest ever made.
• Native American tribes used beads made from shells, turquoise, and later, European glass to decorate garments, tell stories, and record treaties.

And then there’s the Silk Road, where beads flowed from east to west—amber from the Baltics, coral from the Mediterranean, jade from China, lapis from Afghanistan. I can picture it so vividly: merchants carrying beads on camelback across deserts and mountains, exchanging them for spices, silk, and stories.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like one of them.

I’m a modern-day bead trader. I travel to places like China, visiting factories, gemstone markets, and tiny shops to hand-select the treasures I bring home. I absolutely love traveling—seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and building relationships with the people who help make these beads. It’s hard work, but it feels like magic every time.