5 Types of Eco-Friendly Beads

Beads are historically made from bone, shell, and any other material an artisan can find. The tradition continues today with repurposed and recycled beads for jewelry making. If you’re looking for eco-friendly jewelry materials, here are five types of beads you’ll want to string, stitch, and weave.

Above: Recycled glass beads from Ghana. Image courtesy of Exotic Glass Beads.

Beads Made from Seeds

Acai berries are a super food with a secret inside. Nature Beads owner Lilly McGraw says her Amazonian ancestors believed if you start drinking strong and delicious Acai juice at an early age, you grow up to be super strong. Every part of the Acai palm is used, right down to the seeds that are revealed once the berries are processed. To create these lovely beads, artisans hand-drill the Acai seeds before dyeing and polishing.

Beads Made from Bone

Bones were used as some of the earliest adornments and were part of the process of using every part of an animal. The tradition continues to this day, with may bone beads made in cottage industries. Woman Shops World owner Carter Seibels says, “This provides a livelihood for families in remote villages, and we are honored to share their craft.” Many bone beads are dyed, painted, and carved by artisans in India and Nepal.

Beads Made from Records

Recycled vinyl records make up these colorful heishi beads. Some vendors also use a compressed rubber called vulcanite. They’re traditionally worn as waist beads by women in different tribes, but they’re currently being strung into stacking bracelets and colorful chokers in many different cultures. Single-color strands have significance, such as blue for harmony and peace.

Beads Made from Recycled Glass

A labor-intensive process goes into making Ghanaian Krobo glass beads. First, artisans sort glass bottled and other recycled glass by color. Then, the glass is broken into coarse chips, ground into small granules, or crushed into powder. These bead-makers then place the glass into handmade clay molds and heat them in a wood-fired kiln. Once the beads are cool, an artisan polishes the beads by hand using sand and water. Some Krobo glass beads have a layered design that’s created by the glass powder before it goes into the kiln, while others are hand-painted once the beads are removed from the kiln.

Beads Made from Magazines

These paper beads from Uganda are eco-friendly and help support efforts for children’s education and women’s business loans. Artisans make them by hand by wrapping a strip of recycled magazine or calendar around a needle, toothpick, or other small mandrel. The beads are made in many different shapes and sizes with colors that depend on the paper that’s used. Paper beads do require some extra care. They have a glossy sealant that makes them shiny and water resistant, but they typically aren’t waterproof.

Happy beading,
Katie Hacker, Content Manager, Bead & Jewelry

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