Imperfect Handmade African Blue Glass Bead Bracelet

by Deborah Hall
(South Africa)

I LOVED making this bracelet!

I took stainless steel wire, free formed it by hand, and added the three glass beads, to make it a hinge-able bracelet.

This bracelet should be worn on a hot summer day with nothing else on but your bikini. The beads are icy blue and the steel is cool, as well.

The beads are handmade in Ghana. They are made from recycled glass, where crushed and broken pieces are put into a clay mold, then fired, typically in an outside kiln made of termite clay. Usually, right after the beads are fired, the artist uses an awl to put a stringing hole in the center, and roll the bead around in the mold to shape it. Then it's left to cool and finish hardening.

Each bead is unique, imperfect and rough. The center bead has a spot, and I'd love to wonder how it got there, or make up a story about it. Perhaps the artist was distracted, thinking about the lobola (bride price) his family will pay for his bride, and something flicked into the glass before it hardened...

The glass beads measure approximately 2cm (3/4 inch) across and around 1.5cm (1/2 inch) deep.

The bracelet measures approximately 20.5cm (just over 8 inches). I have a slender wrist, and it fits me perfectly, and it could fit someone with a small/medium sized wrist.

The bracelet was made in two parts and joined together at one with a ring, which enables it to open, and closes with a hook made into the other end. As I mentioned before - the hinge half of the bracelet is roughly made. For people who like things smooth and perfect, this bracelet isn't for you. This isn't to say this is a piece that someone wouldn't absolutely love. I only create jewelry that I would love and wear, and I love this chunky, icy bracelet.

Deborah Hall
Singing Heat Jewelry