the green fancy shaped beads are lampwork glass worked in a flame- my guess is Czech, the swirled oval beads with biggish holes are classic Venetians...
Hi again.
Your black beads have been trailed and combed. This conformation is called a "feather pattern." The beads are not "feather beads"—since a feather bead: 1) is made from a feather; 2) is shaped like a feather; or 3) represents a feather. Your beads appear (to me) to be Venetian and uncirculated (not having any actual wear).
It is difficult to ID the melon beads. Many plain wound beads turned into melon-form beads will look pretty much alike. It's helpful to see the perforation, to note its relative size and any bead release in the channel. For instance, Chinese beads tend to have larger perforations than do European (often Czech) beads. They also have a distinctive bead release. Perchance, is the glass slightly dichroic? In other words, when you switch from viewing the beads in reflected light, and hold them up so the light is behind them (is transmitted light), is there a color change?
I have some unusual Chinese beads that are mauvy, but turn pinkish in transmitted light. But they are not melon beads. I suspect your beads may be Czech or Central European.
Apart from the color of the glass, I don't know how anyone could realistically date molded snake beads down to decades. They are probably oldish (though I understand this is like telling you nothing).
Jamey
Hi Sammi,
Both of your green beads look Czech (or Central European—which encompasses Austria and Germany) to me. The melon beads too.
If I may add a recommendation: Your photos are so large, they demand scrolling left and right, up and down, to see the entire frame or to read text. Please consider formatting a somewhat smaller image. My maximum size is about 9" x 12"—but I work in Photoshop, so I would be a poor source of info on what you should do to reformat sizes, given whatever apps you may be using.
Good luck. Jamey
Thanks Jamey, the mauve ones are kind of opalescent when held up to the light.
OK. It is opalescent glass that tends to change color. But in some cases the change can be very subtle.
I should dig out my Chinese beads, and see if I can capture this characteristic—since I've been talking about it for years. I have blue Chinese beads that turn greenish (if I recall correctly) too.
JDA.
It would be fab to see them!
Thankyou
