Hi Carl,

Among Venetian beads, and glassmaking, it's not unusual for "brick-red" (opaque copper red glass) to modulate to less-carmine and more brownish tones. It's the same glass. Just not as well modulated.

"Madder-red" Venetian glass is actually a translucent color, made with manganese. It's a saturated muddy wine color, approaching violet. In thick beads, it looks black.

Jamey

Hi Jamey,

Very interesting. Great stuff!

Thanks,

Carl

Hi Carl,

I somehow missed that you were referring to the bead on the right (!). Yes, this is a black 7-layer bead from the 16th C.

I have shown these in the past.

The "black" glass, in this instance, may be dark translucent red—like "madder-red." However, I have also documented early chevron beads made with a black glass that is remarkably neutral. The glass is translucent and GRAY. And when thick, it looks entirely black—and in my opinion is the closest thing to "black" glass I know of from my experience. (Art says there is "true black glass"—but I haven't seen this yet.)

I was referring to the "red" layer of the lower bead, that is a chocolate-brown tone.

Sorry for the confusion!

Jamey

Here's a photo of a black chevron bead that I showed at Trade Bead Talk for an essay I composed and posted in 2003. It's a small bead from Peru.

I would be curious to know the dimensions of your beads, Carl.

Jamey

That would make sense, as my small obsidian collection from childhood always looked to me like really dark gray slightly translucent glass....