to me beads with character speak to me, they have a story to tell, they've been around the block and they convey that. These beads attract me but so do beautiful and well designed beads.
Beautiful and well designed beads have character too, don't you think? Am I right that character is not a property reserved for things that are old? A story to tell is definitely part of "character," but it is, or can be, more than (or other than) that. No?
I look for artistic character in both old and new beads. But, I have become conditioned to prefer old beads because of the forgiving softness of patina which comes with age. This softness tends to blend with more things more often.
With new things, I am more inclined to try to match. With old things, I find I can often mix-and-match successfully without as much effort.
Which means a certain, hard-to-describe, appealing quality.
I am also reminded of the first line of the Tao Te Ching - "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao".
I find it very difficult to put into words how & why certain beads are so mesmerizing. Such beads seem to channel eternal beauty and harmony. I like to think that the makers of such beads have left something of themselves as well as positive karma that flows to the current owner of the bead, and onto all subsequent owners.
So I guess I am attaching some metaphysical properties to "beads with character"!
There are qualities that make one pause and take a second look - these may be the scars, wear and discolorations of age, the beauty of materials,the artistry and or skill of the maker or any combination. Sometimes one sees ordinary beads that are arranged in an extraordinary way and so become elevated when you encounter them again.
Since I am the "accused" in this case, it is only fair that I provide my opinion. All of the answers above could possibly be considered correct, but I would avoid trying to be too literal. It is probably closer to being a certain look or feel that cannot be easily described.
When a person is said to have character, it usually means they have a known reputation for honesty or integrity. More often than not it comes with age, given time to prove that one has character.
With beads, in my opinion it is more often possible that beads with age and wear show such character, rather than a new bead, though I don't suppose a new bead could be ruled out. A composition can also show character, often when a necklace has been in existence and worn, such as in this case.
For me I think most often a bead that appears to have had meaning to a previous owner or just exudes a visible past life is a good example of character. In my collecting life, I have often bought beads in poor condition or even broken or repaired beads, because of this visible character, in fact this approach is usually a guiding factor in what I consider to be my favorites.
It probably means something different to each of us and in the end not easy to describe, other than we know it when we see it.
Happy collecting,
Jan
