DETAIL: Twenty brightly colored red and white 19th century African Trade Beads. We ran across these antique beads in Bombay, India. The red beads here are very famous trade beads known as "white hearts", because they are red on the outside, and the "heart" is white. African trade beads were more often than not manufactured in Europe for use in trade with the African continent. White the Italians and Dutch produced their own beads for trade with Africa, Britain "delegated" the work to their greatest colony of the time, India. India produced vast quantities of trade beads for use by the British in their trade with the African continent. In so doing, the Indians themselves came to greatly favor the African Trade Beads they produced for use in brightly colored beaded jewelry. These antique glass beads have been mounted onto high quality contemporary 14kt gold fill french hooks. These are not cheap, gold-plated earrings. They are genuine 14kt gold fill - designed to last a lifetime. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout. Though the trade beads are antique, hand crafted and hand matched, the settings are contemporary. They could also be remounted onto kidney wires, lever backs, euroclicks, or ball studs if you would prefer; or remounted onto 14kt solid gold or sterling silver.

HISTORY OF BEADS: Beads have been used as body adornments since before 30,000 B.C., even by Neanderthal Man, made of various materials such as bone, stone, pearls, and as civilization advanced, primitive ceramics (such as the faience beads manufactured by the ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Phoenicians). Probably the most famous ancient beads were those produced by the ancient Phoenicians in the second and first millennia B.C. and traded throughout the Mediterranean. This trade certainly extended to North Africa, and according to some evidence, perhaps even as far as the East Coast of Africa around the cape. African Trade Beads were typically produced in Europe (especially Venice, Amsterdam, and Bohemia) and India and transported to West Africa. Conclusive evidence has such beads being brought to Africa by Arab traders overland from North Africa. They were eventually brought to Africa by European traders in their sailing ships from the 16th century onwards. They were used by the Europeans as currency to purchase from the Africans gold, ivory and palm oil on the triangular trading routes from Europe, to West Africa, and then onto the West Indies (and eventually the "New World" including the American Colonies) to return with produce from the plantations.

Domestic shipping (insured first class mail) is included in the price shown. Domestic shipping also includes USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are an extra $16.99 for Insured Air Mail; International shipments are an extra $20.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). ADDITIONAL PURCHASES do receive a VERY LARGE discount, typically about $5 per item so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers.

We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments, which is INCLUDED in our price. International tracking is at additional cost. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with. If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price (less our original shipping costs).

We travel to Russia each year seeking antique gemstones and jewelry from one of the globe’s most prolific gemstone producing and cutting centers, the area between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, Russia. From all corners of Siberia, as well as from India, Ceylon, Burma and Siam, gemstones have for centuries gone to Yekaterinburg where they have been cut and incorporated into the fabulous jewelry for which the Czars and the royal families of Europe were famous for. My wife grew up and received a university education in the Southern Urals of Russia, just a few hours away from the mountains of Siberia, where alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset.

Before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, we try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. We believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with us that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today.

Our interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. We have a number of “helpers” (family members, friends, and colleagues) in Russia and in India who act as eyes and ears for us year-round, and in reciprocity we donate a portion of our revenues to support educational institutions in Russia and India. Occasionally while in Russia, India, Siam, and Ceylon we will also find such good buys on unique contemporary gemstones and jewelry that we will purchase a few pieces to offer to our customers here in America. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. We can set most any antique gemstone you purchase from us in your choice of styles and metals ranging from rings to pendants to earrings and bracelets; in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, and 14kt gold fill. When you purchase from us, you can count on quick shipping and careful, secure packaging. We would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from us. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."