The Story Behind Creatively Belle Beads

The Heritage of Creatively Belle Beads

The heritage of Creatively Belle beads is really the heritage of Bohemia.

For 300 years the world's greatest makers of costume jewelry have hidden, anonymously, in the heart of Europe; Gablonz, Bohemia.

Bohemian glass dynasties lasted for centuries, until the middle of the 20th century, when the entire community of German-stock craftspeople was expelled from the area in the turbulence of World War II.

Now, more than 60 years after WWII, the glass making industry has recovered, spread to a wider area and is growing.

Bohemian or Czech?

So what is the difference between Bohemian and Czech glass beads? None at all. It all comes down to the history of the region and how the region's name changed after WWI.

Bohemian beads are Czech beads.

Cottage Industry

Bead making has traditionally been a cottage based industry where knowledge and skills were handed down through the family, from generation to generation.

Even in the age of factories work is still handed out to families for the tradition skills and benefits they can bring to the craft.

Bohemia

Before 1918 the area now known as the Czech Republic was called Bohemia.

Now the name 'Bohemia' refers to a region north west of Prague where there is a strong industry of glass making including beads, buttons and baubles.

Other Glass Making Regions

The Bohemians have carved a niche in many glass making markets and have had local competition for centuries - from Venice, near by German glassmaking regions and Austria.

This local competition has inspired the finest innovations in quality and techniques. The benefactors of centuries of close competition are you and me.

Many people instantly associate top quality bead work with the Venetians and the Island of Murano. There work is stunningly beautiful and their reputation is well earned. The Italians have a natural talent for promoting their wonderful abilities and understanding that business building has a lot to do with brand building. So over the centuries they have required the jewelers who use their components to include their name in the end result. Hence they are so well known.

The Bohemians are not so comfortable about coming forward. They have traditionally let designers use their work without requiring them to identify their source.

The end result today is one of naming. Both regions produce equally well crafted and stunning glass work but with the ability to brand their produce the Venetians are the best known internationally for glass beads. Yet the Bohemian glass still retains that little bit of extra magic for me.

Lampwork Beads

Hand made Czech Lampwork Beads Many of the focal glass beads used in Creatively Belle designs are called Lampwork beads.

Lampworking, a crucial glassmaking technique, consists of reheating glass tubes or canes with the aid of a special lamp in order to rework them into new designs.

These lamps burn gas until it becomes malleable. The softened glass can be twisted or pressed into a wide range of forms.

These are hand made beads, each one unique and able to capture the light in a special way.

Press Glass Beads

We often also use press glass beads. As common to all Bohemian glass work, the light capturing quality of these beads is one of the main attractions.

In the 18th century the Bohemians wanted to break their way into the French Chandelier market. As necessity is the mother of invention the Bohemians developed the technique of pressmoulding - squeezing the elements from a reheated glass cane. The tools basically resembled tongs, the ends of which could be fitted with various shaped molds.

Today's tools are still closely related to the early designs, reflecting just how well thought out the entire process was initially done.

Colours and Names

When talking about the colour of glass beads the name of the colour is associated to that of precious and semi-precious stones.

Amethyst is used for purple, peridot for spring green, garnet for dark blue based red and so forth.

The glass beads are also called stones within the industry. This can lead to a degree of confusion some times. But when personally buying stones and determining whether they are semi-precious or glass keep a simple test in mind: glass can carry heat and warm up whereas precious and semi-precious stones remain cool - they don't warm up.

Creatively Belle works with glass beads and not precious or semi-precious stones. We do use the industry standard colour naming code but our beads are glass and we do not pretend them to anything else, they are beautiful enough in their own right!

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If you have questions, feedback or suggestions please e-mail using: ebay@creativelybelle.com

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