Chevrons, Hudson’s Bay White Hearts and Blue Russians

Large Hudson’s Bay White Hearts are the focal point of this necklace. I have a hard time finding them because this size is such a rare trade bead. They are approximately 1/2 inch in diameter, of course they vary since they are hand made and mandrel wound one at a time. The core is white glass with red gold chloride glass over the top. In olden days it was a very ingenious way to make a beautiful red bead, yet keep the price down.

“Three hundred years before Vancouver and Gray, Columbus in 1492 stated in his log: “Presented some of them with red caps and strings of glass beads which they placed around their necks, and with other trifles of insignificant worth that delighted them, and by which we got a wonderful hold on their affections.” Some Indians were so keen about beads they would trade horses, slaves and provisions for a small quantity – especially when the color was right.”(1) These large Hudson’s Bay White Hearts could very well have been some of the trade beads gifted by Columbus, they are that old and this large size is some of the hardest to find these days. I’m always on the lookout!

This necklace also has some beautiful old Chevrons of about the same size as the Hudson’s Bay trade beads. These fancy beads were individually handmade in Murano, Venice from the early 1600’s. The process of making these patterned Chevron beads is a major bead making technique. The bead maker begins with a fairly large gather of glass on the end of a hollow rod which he blows into to create the hole in the bead. The molten gather is thrust into a zigzag mold and then another layer of a different color glass is melted on and the same procedure continues until as many layers as wanted are on, usually 3 or more, then the molten glass is drawn out into as long a tube as can be made, usually a yard long tube. The cooled glass tube is then chopped into beads, hand or softly tumble-polished with the ends of the beads often sanded to make the varied colors more visible with a star-like pattern on the end, and the bead more desirable.

Some good sized dark Blue Russians are also on this necklace along with some smaller Russians to create the graduated effect. These Russians definitely have the lovely sharp hand shaped facets, desirable dark cobalt color and shiny patina associated with the North American trade. For more information on Blue Russian trade beads please see footnote (2) below.

I always like to use Czech Cobalt beads for spacers when I’m working in blue tones. They facilitate good movement of the necklace and make it comfortable to wear. When you’re composing a necklace using tube shaped beads, especially old valuable beads, if you don’t put some round beads in occasionally the glass beads run the risk of chipping and snapping on each other, which is not a good idea, so consider and protect your investment.

(1) Bill Holm, Thomas Vaughan, Soft Gold; The Fur Trade and cultural exchange on the Northwest Coast of America, 1982
(2) Blue Russian Trade Bead and Dentalium Necklace – More about Russian Blues