...I seem to recall being particularly interested in Russian Blues and Chevrons when I first discovered the world of beads. I had been on a short trip to Boone, North Carolina and was thrilled when I came across a strand of beads with a tag that had "Russian Blues" written on it and moments later was walking out the door with them. Then some time later when I found out I could satiate my desire to obtain a 7 layer Chevron as there was a bead show "a comin" to the next town...I was on my way. You guessed it...proudly wearing my "Russian Blues." Well, the man from "East of Oz" was quick to point out that the beads I was wearing were in fact NOT Russian Blues, but rather sandcast beads from Ghana. I was crushed...I no longer owned Russian Blues. Oh, did I mention that he did give me a look that to me said..."what an idiot." Well, I was still thrilled to purchase my first authentic 7 layer from the man that knows his beads even if he did give me a look.

Well, the bead strand shown here were those labeled as "Russian Blues."

...after being told my "Russian Blues" were merely sandcast beads I went seeking information. I did manage to find the Picard's book-Russian Blues Faceted and Fancy Beads. And, I did see that there did seem to be a color(colour for you Stefany) of Russian Blues that was similar to the color of my overly priced sandcast beads. You know the color, right and they are opaque.

Okay...maybe you've picked up on where I'm heading with this...no? Well, and this isn't because I just can't accept what I've been told(some of you are thinking it...you know who you are :)...). But, is it at all possible that someone crushed up a strand of these lighter blue opaque Russian Blues to produce this strand of sandcast beads? Is this idea way out there? Go ahead...I can take it.

The chevron pictured is that first chevron

...started by Chris England? Mike and Marie of East of Oz have wonderful beads - they don't come West anymore, I don't think, but they are still active on the East coast. About 12 years ago they did a couple of shows in our area and it was a pleasure. Fun and very knowledgeable folks!

I am not the one to speculate on whether the Krobo crushed Russian Blues to get blue for powderglass.

Hello Joyce, thanks and yes I did not remember the name of the bead show...I believe that was it. I also have purchased beads from Chris on e-bay. The six degrees of separation is very prevalent in the bead world, huh? It doesn't take a lot of research to know that blue chalcedony is one of your favorites.

I joined a workshop last year from a bead maker from Ghana, and made my own beads from crushed glass.
We talked quite a bit about the materials used for the beads, and I have to say that all she spoke about was recycled glass items like bottles, jars, etc. I can imagine that the light blue colour can be obtained from white (from Malibu bottles) with a touch of blue glass.
I know that beads are being used to make new beads, but mostly they are melted whole into a new beads, nut completely crushed to achieve a specific colour. Doing it with old trade beads would surprise me.
However, I have not been to Ghana myself, so others who have may know more about the idea of using crushed glass beads to mimic a colour.
You can find more on the workshop and the technique on my blog (scroll down to Krobo beads from Ghana)

...I've wanted to make a glass bead and have yet to do so. I have made a stain glass window. I would love to see a photo of the beads you made with the crushed glass.

...rather, I should have said I have made a stained glass window.

Krobo powderglass beads, made in the Netherlands..... (mixed in are some white prosser beads)

Those are nice. So, you would still call these Krobo beads even though they were made in the Netherlands? You wouldn't call them Krobo inspired beads instead? I'm only asking to know...not trying to be a know it all or anything. :)

Here are two strands of some powder glass beads that I had to have...and are still awaiting there place around my neck.

Hate when I do that....those strands are awaiting their place around my neck, rather.

Cobalt carbonate and cobalt oxide are earth minerals used to create blue colors in glass and ceramic. Cobalt is a very stable mineral, a strong colorant, and consistently remains blue in differing environments of temperature and atmosphere during melting processes. Any cobalt blue glass object that is ground up into powder will be blue when the powder is packed and fused. There are many sources of blue glass. It is far more likely your little beads were formerly jars and bottles.

Did the beadmakers that made the glass cores for Kiffas ony use jars and bottles? And, don't beadmakers in Africa even stick others beads such as greenhearts into molds for other beads such as the Akosos? I believe they even cook beads in Africa...no? So, I wonder your reasoning for saying it is "far more likely" my "little beads were formerly jars and bottles." Do the words "far more likely" always apply in a place where a bead is more valued if the core is showing such as with a bodom or where a bead such as a morfia is broken into pieces and distributed among family members? And, it's not that I mean to be argumentative...not that one shouldn't have a good spirited argument about one's passions...but, just to say is it really so hard to fathom someone crushing up a strand of beads that perhaps they do not find desirable. Funny, I was wondering how many people were aghast as I did wirework around my ancient eye bead shown in the "have you ever" thread. It may not have been the smartest thing to do..and I'm not really happy with that particular necklace. And, I know that in redoing it, should I cut the wire...I should proceed very cautiously.

when i had a bead shop in London in the 1980s-2001, there were various ghanaians who brought us powder glass beads, and some who were on their way to a local pottery supplier because they were using colourless crushed glass and adding the oxides used in pottery glazes they buy to give colour where there was none before to their creations-