The single bead is the first Venetian bead I ever found and started my bead collecting passion. I found it at the bottom of a box of broken jewelry on the counter of an old-style Goodwill thrift store. 10 cents a piece, but she charged me 25 cents for this one since it was 'special'. I acquired many of my early beads, mostly simple ones, from this box until the store closed.

It took me 5 years to ID the bead after I sent for some Picard sales brochures. This was when they were still in Los Angeles. Bead shop owners would laugh when I asked them if they had any. The Picards had none. Years went by. Then the internet came into my home. I think I've scanned over a million thumbnail photos of beads since then, searching for these blue dotted gold leaf trailed Venetian beads... and buying many other beads along the way.

About 7 years ago I saw a necklace at auction but I was unable to win it. I didn't see another necklace, or even a single bead, until last week. Finally at last I found some, and I was able to negotiate a reasonable, yet still high, price for this beautiful necklace with 9 beads. These are more beautiful than the original bead. The gold is intact. The blue is a deeper shade. The composition of the necklace is pleasing.

Happy dance!