Special Stock: Vintage Beads..nail heads, tri-cuts,striped beads, French metal beads, rose montees, white hearts, green hearts, French jet glass, greasy, satin & opal glass beads & much, much more! The beads on this page will change frequently due to the limited quantity of most of our vintage beads. We'll delete beads as we sell out, and we'll be adding beads when we find them. **For more antique beads, try these links: Antique Italian crow & pony beads& Antique Italian 16/0-24/0 seed beads.
*Due to the limited supply and frequent change of inventory, all sales are final on antique beads. Thank you!
Click Here antique French metal beads & steel cuts
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These vintage sequins were made in Belgium in the 1950's and were found their original hanks. They are sold in a nine inch strand [approximately 1200 pieces.]
These are very finely detailed vintage beads. Our source tells us they imported them from Japan in the late 1960's/early 1970's.They are 20mm [3/4"] long and 6mm in diameter. The images are enlarged to illustrate the nice details.
These are 12mm [7/16"] in diameter ... the images are enlarged trying to show you the nice details. All of the designs are delicately outlined with gold color. Even the petals of the flowers have a fine gold color outline.
We have never seen buttons as unique as these ! They can be used in many ways: buttons, cabachons, pendants, bracelet or necklace clasps, earrings ... ? They appear to be cast bronze with five steel shapes pressed into the bronze. True size is 16mm diameter [5/8 inch.] We took all of them available but the supply is very limited .....
We use the term "satin" do describe the appearance of the beads. The beads appear to have lines inside the glass which give the beads somewhat of a satin like finish. They are not truly shiny, and they are not matte. It is really a unique looking appearance. They are strung in 3" hanks, which suggests they were made between the 1930's and the 1950's .... allowing for the disruption for WWII.
WHITE HEART BEADS: Two layer bead with a translucent outer layer (usually red, orange or pink) and a white inner layer. Most white hearts are antique and very collectible. The rose colored white hearts have become very scarce. Our last reliable source for them exhausted their supply about three years ago. We feel very fortunate to have found these beautiful 7/0 beads for you !
These neat vintage glass loops were made in the 1960's and are quite light weight. They are approximately 21mm [7/8 inch] by 14mm [5/8 inch].
Sweet made in Japan mother of pearl bugle shaped beads from approximately the late 1960's to early 1970's. They are a nice creamy color and some have a hint of rainbow to them. The rainbow will appear in the slightly darker stripe you see in the 2 beads on the left sideof the image.
Ancient 6th-10th Century AD "Indo-Pacific Beads", 2.5--3.5mm transparent Indigo blue glass beads.
We purchased these from our very trusted bead trader. He refers to them as "Indo-Pacific beads", discovered in digs in Northern Cambodia. They were most likely produced in Arikamedu, India with ancient Roman glass. He stressed that they were quite a remarkable find, not only are they incredibly beautiful & ancient, it is unusual to find loose beads strung with all similar beads. They are usually strung in mixed colors of loose beads, when they are this old.
Ancient transparent indigo blue glass Indo-Pacific bead(6thAD-10thAD) strands are some of the most beautiful & exquisite beads we have ever come across. The stunning transparent indigo blue glass shades from very dark to a lighter blue. They will take your breath away! Strands are 22" L & the beads are 2.5mm-3.5mm
*** If you would like to learn more about the fabulous Indo-Pacific beads, check out the following link to the Center For Bead Research at the Bead Site:
http://www.thebeadsite.com/UNI-I-P.html
Vintage cut, hex, faceted, grooved 18/0 beads ! These are uniquely made beads to say the least. To start, they are 18/0 in diameter and 1.1mm in length [about the size of a 16/0 bead.] They are flat cut on the ends like a 2-cut; and, the nose of most are slightly rounded like a bullet. They are hex shaped, and many are faceted. Then most are grooved on the flat hex surfaces. All of this on beads 1mm in diameter ! The colors are rich and beautiful in person.
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Vintage Japanese glass flowers with 1 1/2" to 2" brass wire stems, made some time after WWII and we think before 1970. These nice flowers come in two sizes: yellow ones are 16mm [3/4"] in diameter; and, the transparent blue ones are 12mm [1/2".] The blues are made to resemble a flower that has not fully blossomed. With the wire stem you can be embellish your creative beadwork with flowers; the wire is small enough to go through size 14 beads; you can shape the stem into a loop; or, you can bunch the flowers together into a bouquet.
Very pretty machine cut drops made in Czechoslovakia in the 1950's ! Found in the original packaging that indicates they have a "titania" finish. Titania is an AB finish, but since that term [Aurora Borealis] was first used by Swarovski, the Czech maker chose to call their finish titania. The cuts on these drops are consistent and very concise. The size 15mm x 9mm is approximately 1/2" high and 3/8" diameter. The hole is horizontal at the top. Sold in pairs @ $ 3.00/pair.
These cool Antique Czech glass lampwork drops were made around 1900. They are 8mm in diameter and 12mm tall; the wire is that you use to make your own loop is 13mm[1/2"] long. They have small dimples in the glass, which provides us with more credence as to their age. These images are enlarged to better illustrate the colors. Visualize how unique they'd look when used in a project with the unfinished Italian beads found on this page !
The Czechs' were, & still are, the masters of the cut glass beads! Vintage Czech tri-cuts. Below we have a hematite size 12/0 glass tri-cut, a gorgeous dark green iridescent 12/0 glass tri-cut, a beautiful very dark transparent root beer-garnet 11/0 glass tri-cuts, and a pretty transparent periwinkle 11/0 tri-cut. They are all sold on hanks with 10 loops of beads@ $5.00ea.
Vintage Italian unique "unfinished" seed beads. Most are sizes 12/0 and 13/0; the blue is size 10; and, produced in Murano, Italy some time between 1930 and 1970. Generally the final step in the seed bead making process involves tumbling the beads. This process polishes the beads and, depending on the amount of time they are tumbled, rounds the edges somewhat. These beads did not reach the polish stage["unfinished",] so the colors have a rich, deep appearance. For example, think of the color of old Coke bottles [1955 ?] and imagine it is cherry or garnet instead of green.
We love the richness of the colors and the unique shape of the Antique Italian seed beads !
These beautiful French orange white hearts were made about 15 to 20 years ago. They are not as old as most of our Vintage & Antique beads but they are so pretty we just had to have them ! Note: These beads were made in France. Antique Italian mid-19th Century hand cut small pink pony size beads ! Antique beads can be a little wider on one side than the other [see image], creating a unique look to your artwork ! Sizes 3mm to 5mm. Sold in 20" strands. Vintage Pre-WWII Japanese size 12 seed beads. These beautiful subtly lilac color lined glass seed beads were made in Japan by the Hiroshima bead factory in the 1930's. This same factory made the nice amber colored beads and the red/orange beads. The lilac color is inside the glass so it will not wear off . The outer glass is clear.
Vintage Italian Bead Mixes In the late 1800's several Italian bead making families formed a Society in Murano, and pooled their resources in an effort to make their combined business more efficient and profitable. Some within this group had been making beads in Italy since the mid-1800's. This group maintained the business until about 1980, at which time they sold all of their remaining beads. Some beads were sorted by color and size, and you have seen many of those on our WEB site. As the time drew nearer to move the beads, they were simply shoveled into wooden crates and no care was given to sorting them nicely by color, thus the seed bead mixes you see here ! The oldest of these beads may be slightly less than perfectly round as the earlier beads were cut by hand, which may add uniqueness, individuality and character to your bead work ! If you don't mind sorting some beads, these can be a good deal for you ! There are approximately 225 grams in a half pound. Using a 20 gram package of beads sold retail at $ 3.00 as an example, a half pound of beads would retail for $33.+. Some of our size 11 Antique Italian beads retail for $ 3.75/ 10 grams. Note: Due to the weight of these mixes, the shipping fee quoted on your order form may be increased slightly to cover the actual cost of shipping. We wil ship in the most USPS efficient manner possible. We can generally safely fit three or four of these 1/2 pound mixes in a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope [inside a sturdy box] at a cost of about $5.00, as an example. ******************** Seven mixes added April 6, 2008 $ 11.50/ a half pound ! Here are some specifics for these Italian Seed Bead Mixes: ******************* Seed Bead Mix 5: Sizes 9 & 10. Predominant colors are whites and yellows, with shades of blue, greens, reds, oranges, and clear. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 6: Sizes 12 & 13. Predominant color is white[some as small as 16/0]; with greens, reds, blues, yellow, orange, and black. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead [HEX Shape] Mix 10: Mostly size 12, some as small as size 14. Some opaque, some silver lined, and some have a metallic finish. Colors: bronze, red, orange, pink, greens, blues, yellows, black. Seed Bead Mix 12: Sizes 6 to 13. Predominant colors are oranges, reds, and yellows with some blues and greens. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 13: Sizes 6 to 13. Predominant color is many shades of blue; with some reds, oranges, greens, and white. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 14: Sizes 11 to 13. Predominant colors are oranges and reds; with some brown, black, blues, and greens. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 15: Sizes 11 & 12. Predominant colors are reds and oranges.Some opaline whites; some 2-cuts. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 16: Sizes 11 & 12. Very old beads ! Whites, oranges, rust, greasy colors, pink, several shades of blue, some opalines. Mostly opaque. Seed Bead Mix 17: Sizes 9 to 12. Mostly 11/0's and 12/0's.Very old ! Predominant colors are blues and whites; some turquoise, reds and oranges. $ 11.50/ a half pound !
Vintage 1930's Czech very dark blue iridescent hex cut beads. Sometimes referred to as "oil slick" color. These beautiful beads are size 11 in diameter and 2mm in length.
Antique Japanese 1915 Silvered Glass [aka Mercury Glass] 3 inch long bugle beads !! In a word these beautiful tubes are fantastic ! They are 3 inches in length; 4mm to 5mm in diameter; and, thick walled glass. At this time we have them in two shades of green. The hole is 2mm to 3mm. The silver is between 2 layers of glass so it will not wear off. You creative beaders will come up with many ways to use these unique tubes ! If you have a color preference[light or dark shade] , you may share that with us as a note in the comment box during the check-out process.
Vintage Czech luscious 11/0 Greasy Lime Seed Beads ! We last had these nice beads about a year ago and we're really pleased to find more of them for you ! They have a nice deep look to them. Vintage Czech: Found in Italy, these nicely molded Czech flowers can make nice additions for your bead projects ! |