These colorful earrings are created using “watermelon” Indonesian trade beads, African White Hearts and Hill Tribe Silver. They are accented with bright sterling silver beads and suspended by Sterling Silver lever back earring wires.

Trade Beads are decorative glass beads used between the 16th and 20th century as a token money to exchange for goods and services. (hence the name). Trade Beads were used to purchase African resources by early Europeans as well as used by various tribes in communal ceremonies.Beads made by Murano and Venetian bead makers entered the bead business in the second half o the 15th Century.