Featured Always wondered about this art glass bead necklace...

This is something I purchased for myself at an antique/collectibles show a few decades ago. Had no idea of maker/origin but knew I had to have those beads! It remains one of my favorite pieces all these years later.

Was just looking at it today, and for a minute thought I saw for the first time a maker's mark, but now thinking it is just some manufacturing spot, no name. (See back of clasp)

No specific question unless someone has a name for these (foil??) or has seen similar.

Here they are:

 

Google for vintage Foil glass beads Maybe this layered ones have a name, but not my area of knowledge
Very very pretty!

 

Lovely!

 

Thanks all! I wondered if maybe 1960s Venetian, or thereabouts. I've never seen anything quite like them. Even the foiled beads I've had before have been a bit different. The beads are sort of "layered" as you say, Kyra. Also linked rather than strung, and the fancy clasp.

Anyway, it's a keeper, a bit of show and tell, but thrilled to get more info if anyone has any.

 

That is gorgeous!!! You don't usually see a clasp done with the same glass.

 

Stunning, Lucille.

I was thinking Czech, but this is not my area of expertise. I looked in Sibylle Jargstorff's "Baubles, Buttons and Beads", but didn't find it. But I have to confess, my 'looking' is more like glancing through these days.
Maybe @Ownedbybear or @DragonflyWink recognize them.

 

Well, those are rather nice. Sommerso foiled is a term. The little faceted beads look more Bohemian/Czech to me, as does that clasp. The colour too. And being on a chain.

 

Thank you, friends. Could be Czech, that was my other thought too.

It is one of my favorite pieces. Sparks joy for sure.

 

It reminds me of a technique used in what contemporary lampwork artists would call a "window bead."

But I swear your beads look like they had a layer of glass removed and that is not how you make window beads.

I have no idea how old the "window bead" technique is. I do know, that when I played around with lampwork, this was one of my favorite things to play at (I sucked at lampwork, btw).

This window bead by Michael Barley https://www.barleybeads.com/

 

Gorgeous necklace. Since the Aurora Borealis finish on glass beads wasn't developed by Swarovsky until the mid-1950s, your necklace wouldn't be any older than that. However, the other beads look like what I've seen referred to as Art Deco Bohemian/Czech foil glass beads. But after AJ mentioned she didn't find anything similar in her Jargstorff's "Baubles, Buttons and Beads" book, I looked through my copy and didn't find any either. So now I'm wondering if they're actually Venetian.

Other key words used on eBay for that type of bead include Lava Glass (I suppose because of the darker opaque areas), Fire Glass, and occasionally Fire Opal Glass (because of their similarity to Mexican fire opals, which sometimes are cut to include non-sparkly opaque areas -- though real Mexican fire opals usually have mainly red/orange "fire").

A few years ago I sold a necklace with somewhat similar beads that I listed as a Vintage Bohemian Art Deco Opalescent Foil Glass Bead Necklace. Maybe I was wrong about it being Bohemian.

 

Not seeing AB on those. Irridescence, yes, but no AB.

 

Now that I've zoomed in on the photos, I can see that you're right about the beads being iridescent rather than having an AB coating. In that case, the necklace is probably from the Art Deco or Flapper era.

 

lol, I'm obviously not clear on what AB is/isn't because I thought the faceted beads had it.

Can someone who knows this stuff post a clear example of AB? Maybe with some pointers as to the difference? @Joan @Ownedbybear

 

Aurora Borealis beads. it's a colour changing rainbow effect rather than just shiny, if that makes sense.

https://englishfrippery.com/products/vintage-aurora-borealis-necklace-1

 

I knew it was "Aurora Borealis" -- but I'm not catching the distinction between Lucille's beads and the ones you linked to.

 

Eh, something about them seems familiar, but unable to pull up anything from my memory banks, and am also away from my bead books, which would probably be much more useful than my failing memory. Will check when I can...

~Cheryl

 

I've seen similar but not identical. Fragile as heck. I'd always sworn they were Japanese.

 

Just back. Thanks for the additional eyes on this.

Evelyb, that is one thing odd about these. They are not fragile (like other foil ones I've had). Maybe something about the way these were constructed (??) not sure. There is something different from any foil bead I've owned previously.

I've had necklaces with foil beads, most often in combination with non-foil beads and the foil ones were striking, but kind of "rough" looking -- for lack of a better word. (And yes, did seem fragile.) The ones on this piece are quite smooth to the touch. And perfectly round, graduating in size. Still thinking there might be a different manufacturing process to these.

More about the AB coating in a second...

 

Having these in the hand, the green spacer beads do have coating. But can see why it was confusing.

Turns out they have partial coating. Every green spacer bead has 7 facets with the coating, 14 or so facets without. Maybe for the "occasional flash of light"? Not sure. So in the photos above you definitely see facets that are also un-coated.

So guess that dates these, but was thinking they looked 60s or so which still fits.

Appreciate the folks checking books, etc. More comments welcome, if any.

 

One of my bead books (Beads of the World, Peter Francis, Jr.) set me to Japan.

I am finding closer matches with "japanese foil beads" than with any other I've tried.

Here's an example from a sold etsy listing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110067...andmade-japanese?show_sold_out_detail=1&frs=1