The red fluted melon/pumpkin bead in the center of this necklace was one of my early beads. It was in a glass jar filled with large molded Czech glass beads in opaque colors, bought at a collectibles swap meet. It was my favorite bead in the jar.

I designed this necklace for the red bead, using my meager supply of beads and searching a bead store for the rest... pre-internet.

The millefiori beads came from a full strand purchased at a swap meet. The bone beads and other filler beads came from thrift stores. The faux amber barrels (and unseen yellow cross ovals) came from a bead shop.

My collecting goal when I started the internet was to find more opaque glass Czech melon beads in large sizes and colors that work well with trade beads.

That goal remains unmet after 10 years of searching. I've found some of this shape in transparent blue, but they were not what I desire.

Funny how that goes, how our plans and expectations are frustrated by reality... there simply aren't many of these out there.