WOOD:
SONOWOOD
The term “sonokeling” stands for a rosewood from Indonesia. It is botanically identical with Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia). Both types have in common that they are naturally widespread in the tropics and that they are comparatively rare in their area of distribution. Many people in Indonesia believe that it is a subspecies of dalbergia nigra (Brazilian Rosewood) planted by the Dutch colonials in the 18th century, because it tends to be closer to dalbegia nigra than to any other rosewood species. They are different in their smell and hardness. Dalbergia nigra is sweeter and denser than the Jacaranda Rosewood, which, is sweeter and denser than Indian Rosewood. Because of this, according to some people, Jaracanda Rosewood has the most ideal tap tone among rosewood species. Please remember that it is not from Brazil, so it is not Brazilian Rosewood. Do not confuse them. Until now, there are some controversies about this Jacaranda Rosewood, especially about its species. There is no scientific research on it. The name “Jacaranda Rosewood” is not a scientific name given by scientists, but it is a name given by Indonesian villagers from generation to generation. The Jacaranda Rosewood trees grow only in just two small areas in Indonesia.
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Sono Trees are mostly Sustainable Plantation Grown, although it can be harvested in its natural habitat under government control. The trunk must have a minimum diameter of 30cm before cutting, to ensure a sustainable supply of wood. This tropical wood has a beautiful colour, variant from a deep brown to golden brown. The Rosewood variety we use for our jewellery along with other wooden beads is Sonokeling which are derived from sustainable tree plantations..
WARU WOOD
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Renewable & Sustainable Plantation Grown. The trees re-sprout freely from the stump after it is cut.
EBONY WOOD
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Recycled from the remnants of Buddhist altars, carvings & antique furniture.
ALBIZIA WOOD
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Sustainable Forest Plantations. Albizia Trees (Silk Trees) are known as being one of the fastest growing trees and therefore have the name “The Miracle Tree”. Within 4 years of germination some Albizia trees will grow to an average height of 70 feet and have an approximate circumference of 3 feet 7 inches. The tree can not be cut until the trunk reaches 50cm and on most plantations a tree can attain a height of 7m in just over a year. Due to its adaptability and drought resistance the tree has been able to establish itself in degraded areas with poor quality soil.
SABO WOOD
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Renewable & Sustainable. Sabo Wood has a natural fleshy tone that varies from light skin colour to red peach. Comes from “Wild Gardens” on land of family of Master Carvers. They cut sustainably to sell to improve the economic situation of the family.
COCONUT WOOD
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Renewable & Sustainable. Coconut timber comes from farmed plantations of old coconut palms. The coconut palm was planted as a crop in large plantations in order to harvest the coconut fruit. The tree bears fruit until approximately 70 years of age, at which point it is considered to have reached the end of its economic life and is felled to make way for future crops. Each year, several million palms are felled throughout the tropics. Traditionally, the trunks have been wasted by-products from this process. Only in very recent years have people begun to explore the potential commercial uses for this vast, alternative supply of timber. This led to the commercial launch of coconut timber in a range of different products, from flooring to posts to furniture. With these products performing at equal to or even better than conventional hardwoods, coconut timber represents a viable substitute for endangered hardwoods from an ecologically-sound source.
Characteristics: Coconut trunk, show typical “grain” of coconut wood. Its wood is reminiscent in appearance to mahogany; however, coconut timber has a much more fibrous grain than mahogany and lacks mahogany’s iridescence. Colour tones and hues range from golden to near ebony, with dark brown flecks. There are three basic colour divisions relating to the timber’s density: dark brown tones (high density); medium brown tones (medium density); and light golden tones (low density). Coconut trees have no annual growth rings, rays, heartwood or branches, meaning that coconut timber is free from knots and other such imperfections.
COCONUT SHELL
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Recycled. The coconut shell is a byproduct of the harvesting of coconut for food and oil. Coconut is one of the staple foods and main exports of Indonesia, and grows in great abundance. In effort to utilize all parts of this plant, the shell is also used to create art, jewellery, and cookware.
WATER BUFFALO BONE & HORN
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Recycled. The bone & horn we use is a by-product of meat production and farming practice. The water buffalo of South East Asia is a domesticated animal. It is used to plough fields & carry loads. They are well treated and important to the survival of the native people. When they are too old to work, they are eaten and all part of the animal are utilized. They are never taken in pursuit of the bones and horns!
MOTHER OF PEARL
HARVESTING PRACTICE: The shells are found already dead while free diving to reefs. We use Recycled Shells, leftover from a factory nearby producing mother of pearl bowls. Only the best quality pieces are chosen to recycle.
FOSSIL CORAL (AGATIZED CORAL)
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Natural type of gemstone formed by ancient corals. Fossil Corals are Not to be mistaken for protected, endangered reef coral or precious coral. It is considered to be a type of agate or chalcedony, which in turn is a variety of quartz, rather than a type of coral, due to its silicon dioxide composition. When pre-historic corals are fossilised through replacement with agate, the fossil coral forms through hardened deposits left by silica rich waters. The entire process can take over 20 million years and occurs only under unique geological conditions. Corals are marine animals and it is their skeletons that are fossilised and preserved often leaving flower like patterns in the stone.
METAPHYSICAL & MYSTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AGATIZED FOSSIL CORAL: Since Fossil Corals is a combination of coral and agate it carries many strong metaphysical beliefs. Agate is said to enhance one’s perceptiveness and concentration & to stimulate analytical capacity. It is thought to provide balanced yin/yang energies & to promote harmony as well as emotional and spiritual strength and self confidence. It is thought to be able to help heal pancreatic disorders and improve blood and air circulation and used for healing illnesses of the eyes, skin and stomach.
GEMSTONES
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Gemstone beads (semi-precious stone beads) are beads created with natural occurring minerals. When the stone is cut & polished they are commonly used in the creation of beaded jewellery. Certain stones like lapis lazuli, coral and organic materials like jet (aka black amber) are not considered minerals themselves, but are still widely used within the jewellery industry, and are therefore often considered to be in the gemstones category. Most gemstones are tough averaging hardness of around 6 – 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, however some soft minerals are used in jewellery because of their lustre or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another influence to increases value and desirability to gemstone beads.
BLUE LACE AGATE
A variety of chalcedony and occurs as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas. Agates are found in an array of colours although green and blue are rather rare. Agate has been said to bring good sleep and good dreams. It also has a calming effect, improves focus and perception and increases stamina. Agate is also known to be one of the most powerful emotional healers.
LAPIS LAZULI
Found Worldwide and has a variety of of minerals and is actually a rock. It is believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac, protects bones and thyroid and has always been considered a powerful protector of evil both physically and mentally.
AMONITE
Originates from United States, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Russia, Australia, Namibia. Amazonite or sometimes called “Amazon stone”, is a green variety of microcline feldspar. It is usually light green to blue-green, and exhibits a fantastic iridescence of light due to slight inclusions of crystal within the gems. It was wildly used by the Egyptians and is also said to have given Amazon woman warriors courage due to it balancing feminine and masculine energy.
FOSSIL RESIN
HARVESTING PRACTICE: In the most specific meaning of the term, is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. It is distinct from other liquid compounds found inside plants or exuded by plants, such as sap, latex, or mucilage. Natural plant resins (the subject of this article) are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives and food glazing agents. They are also prized as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, and provide constituents of incense and perfume. Plant resins have a very long history that was documented in ancient Greece by Theophrastus, in ancient Rome by Pliny the Elder, and especially in the resins known as frankincense and myrrh, prized in ancient Egypt. These were highly prized substances, and required as incense in some religious rites. Amber is a hard fossilized resin from ancient trees.
SEEDS
RUDRAKSHA
Rudraksha is a seed which falls from the eliocarpus ganitrus tree in Nepal, Burma, India and Indonesia. Because rudraksha is a seed no trees are affected by the collection of the rudraksha which fall from it. The male trees do not bear any seeds but the female tree produces over one thousand seeds per year.
Rudraksha, being organic, is preferably worn in ways that do not involve metal; thus on a cord or thong rather than a chain. Traditionally, it is believed that the number of beads used should be 108 plus one. The extra bead is the bindu or “guru bead”. If the mālā lacks a bindu, the energy is said to become cyclical and wearers who are sensitive may become dizzy. When the beads are strung, it is advisable to do so with either a silk or a cotton thread. It is then advised to change the thread every six months to prevent it from snapping and the 109 beads from scattering.
Elaeocarpus ganitrus grows in the area from the Gangetic plain in the foothills of the Himalayas to Southeast Asia, Nepal, Indonesia, New Guinea to Australia, Guam, and Hawaii. Rudraksha seeds are covered by an outer husk of blue when fully ripe, and for this reason are also known as blueberry beads. The blue colour is not derived from pigment but is structural. It is an evergreen tree that grows quickly. The Rudraksha tree starts bearing fruit in three to four years from germination. As the tree matures, the roots form buttresses, rising up near the trunk and radiating out along the surface of the ground.
The word rudraksha is derived from two words – rudra (रुद्र) and aksha (अक्ष).
A. Aksha means “Teardrops”. Rudra and aksha together mean “the one that is capable of looking at and doing everything” (for example, the third eye). Aksha also means “axis”. Since the eye can rotate on one axis, it too is known as “aksha”. B. Rudra is one of Shiva’s Vedic names. A (अ) means to receive and ksha (क्ष) means to give. Hence, aksha (अक्ष) denotes the ability to receive or give. Rudraksha is the one that has the ability to wipe our tears and provide happiness.
In this sense, a Rudraksha is a rosary, used for repetitive prayer (japa), a common aid to worship in Hinduism and other faiths. Rudrakshas are also used for the treatment of various diseases in traditional Indian medicine. A common type has five divisions, and these are considered to be symbolic of the five faces of Shiva. It should only be worn on a black or red string/thread or, rarely, a gold chain. Rudraksha malas have been used by Hindus as rosaries from at least the 10th century for meditation purposes and to sanctify the mind, body and soul. The word rudraksha is derived from Rudra (Shiva—the Hindu god of all living creatures) and aksha (eyes). One Hindu legend says that once Lord Shiva opened His eyes after a long period yogic meditation, and because of strong feelings He shed a tear. This single tear from Shiva’s eye grew into the rudraksha tree. It is believed that by wearing the Rudraksha bead one will have the protection of Lord Shiva. The Rudraksha fruit is blue, but turns black when dried. The central hard seed may have 1 to 21 faces.
Naturally occurring grooves, starting from the natural vertical or horizontal stalk point and reaching the opposite point, are termed as “mukhi” or faces. Any face formed by any kind of artificial modification to complete the natural, incompletely grown mukhi cannot be considered a “real” mukhi. Most Rudrakshas have a small opening at the stalk point resulting from the extraction and cleaning process; this is sometimes further expanded by drilling, so as to allow the Rudraksha to be used for its benefits. The opening might be limited to the surface or it might be like a drill-hole.
Depending on the quantity of the grooves present on the bead, beads are named and traded in the industry. The 1-mukhi Rudraksha is one of the rarest types, whereas 5-mukhi Rudrakshas are the most commonly used and available.
Our rudraksha comes mainly from the Indonesian hills and farms and is sustainably harvested and fair trade.
JOBS TEAR
ORIGIN: Jamaica
HARVESTING PRACTICE: Plant Specifically grown next to riverbanks for its pearl or stone looking seeds which are naturally shiny. The plant itself is often grown for an ornamental grass that somewhat resembles corn. It grows to 10 “ tall in tropical zones but will stay smaller if grown as annual or container plant in cooler zones. It does require a long growing period of 4-5 months to produce more seeds and the seeds need warmth for good germination. The seeds have been used for centuries as as beads for jewellery “Good Luck” Necklaces and rosaries. In the Orient the seeds are eaten as a cereal called “Adlay”. When cooked the seeds have a pleasant mild flavour & it can be used in soups and broths. It can be ground into flour to make bread or used in any of the ways that rice is used. It is also husked and eaten out of hand like a peanut. A tea can be made from the parched seeds, whilst beers and wines are made from the fermented grains. A coffee is made from the roasted seed.
LOTUS SEED PRAYER BEADS
Lotus Seed Prayer bead seeds comes from Mala and get beautifully darker with age and use.
GLASS
Origin: Recycled & Handcrafted from Java, Indonesia and West Africa
POWERED GLASS BEADS
ORIGIN: West Africa
PRACTICE: The art of making recycled glass beads is a legacy that has been sustained for many years by the Krobo People of Ghana and the Nupe People of Nigeria.The term “powder glass beads” can be attributed to any variant made using the recycled glass procedure, and have been popular since the 18th Century, when used as a currency for trade. The Krobo people of Ghana are attributed with the earliest production of powder glass beads, widely recognized as the eco-friendly alternative to blown-glass creations. Glass remnants were sourced from general waste such as broken bottles and jars; common colors being green, brown and transparent. Ground down to a fine powder-like consistency known as “fritt”, the remnants were then added to porcelain molds – usually conical or spherical. The mold is lined with a clay known as kaolin, along with water to ensure the “fritt” does not stick. The molds are placed in a kiln, where temperatures in excess of 300F melt the fritt. Prior to cooling, the glass will be shaped using an “awl”- a flat planing tool made from wood or stone. Glass sourced prior to the 20th Century was typically transparent, green or brown, because glass dye had not yet become common. Krobo beads are the most popular type of recycled African Beads, and as demand for use as a currency increased during the 1800′s, took on more detailed designs.
SANDCAST BEADS
Origin: West Africa
Sandcast Beads are also known as Powder Glass Beads, Dry Powder Glass Beads, and Sugar Beads due to the fact that their surface texture resembles a grainy surface such as sand on the beach. In fact, the name Sandcast is somewhat misleading since they are made from glass and clay is actually used for forming the bead molds. Some Sandcast Beads are also made by people of the Krobo tribe and are also known as Krobo Beads. It is believed that Sandcast beads were first made in sixteenth century Ghana before they were introduced to and produced in other regions of the continent. Because of this, Sandcast Beads are considered a traditional bead craft of Africa. The process for making Sandcast Beads involves multiple steps and is similar to the techniques used to make other Powder Glass Beads. In the initial step old glass is recycled by pulverizing it into small pieces with the use of stones or other tools. The glass particulates are poured into molds of appropriate sizes and shapes and then introduced into earthen kilns or ovens made from termite clay where the glass powder is melted into molten glass. Once the glass has annealed, the beads are cooled and separated from the shaping mold. They may be washed or polished depending on the desired design before they are strung or integrated into different kinds of jewelry. A variety of styles are fashioned to make Sand Cast Beads due to the large number of local designers who make these beads. Some Sandcast Beads are a solid color while others are embellished with hand painted designs using colored glass powder mixed with water in a process secondary to the actual bead making. Some Sand Cast Beads are actually created using different colors of glass in order to create different designs such as multi-colored stripes and other geometric patterns. Due to their many varieties, these beads are a versatile addition to any beading tool chest. Sandcast Beads continue to be a timeless favorite among bead enthusiasts, artists, and collectors alike both in Africa and across the world.
TEAR BEADS
Origin: World Wide but mainly Africa & Europe
Millefiori is an Italian word meaning ” a thousand flowers”. Millefiori beads are also known as “mosaic” beads throughout the world. The making of millefiori beads is a two step process. First the murrine, or cane is made and then it is applied to a molten wound glass core and made into beads. The millefiori beads made in Venice were imported by the thousands to Africa beginning in the late 1800s and traded or sold for various things. Most of the surviving bead sample cards, showing these beads as they were originally sold, are dated to the 1920s. However, this does not mean these beads were not made prior to that time. Old millefiori beads started to be imported to the United States from Africa in the late 1960s and were sold as “Trade Beads” by the importers and African Traders. Those of you who experienced the Hippie era in the US might remember these African beads as “Love Beads”.
Trade Beads are beads that have been used as a form of currency for the exchange of goods and services especially in West Africa. Some of the more common items that these beads were bartered for include ivory, gold, slaves, and other goods that were in demand by Europeans and colonial overlords.
Trade beads were made throughout Europe, however their production was concentrated in Venice and Bohemia where the secrets of glass bead production were a carefully guarded secret. Interestingly, trade beads were also used for trade in the New World. The important role that they played is illustrated by the legend that the Dutch purchased the island of Manhattan from local Native American tribes for several strands of beads. It is believed that Christopher Columbus used glass Trade Beads for barter during his early voyages. Later, Spanish explorers and European fur traders and American explorers such as Lewis and Clark used Trade Beads to facilitate interactions with local peoples and to procure goods. Today, African beads used in the trade are considered highly collectible items. A wide variety of Trade Beads were produced between the 16th and 20th centuries. One of the most celebrated bead designs is the Millefiori Bead from Venice that was named after the characteristic flower pattern on its surface. The methods used to make these and other beads are a testament to the innovation of Venetian artisans. African artisans subsequently copied glass cane beads such as the Millefiori using powdered glass techniques to produce indigenous African Kiffa Beads with similar patterns. Additional well-known varieties of trade beads include Chevrons, Dogon Beads, Vaseline Beads, Russian Blue Beads, Skunk Beads and many others.
SEED BEADS
ORIGIN: Venetia, EUROPE
PRACTICE OF MAKING: The earliest seed beads of European manufacture probably date to about 1490. Around that time, Venetian glassmakers rediscovered the method of making beads by drawing molten glass into long hollow tubes. “Although a great deal of secrecy has always surrounded the drawn-glass bead making operations…descriptions written in 1834 and 1919 apparently represent procedures unchanged for centuries.” A description of how the French seed beads are made today closely parallels these early accounts, indicating that even with the modern technology of the late 20th century, the beads you buy today are basically made the same way as those made hundreds of years ago.
In the modern French method, high quality sand is “placed into a caldron and slowly melted to liquid form over a period of 21 days while the temperature slowly rises to its peak temperature of 1300 c – 1500 c.” At this time, colorants and oxidants “like copper, cobalt, bauxite and even precious materials such as 24ct gold” are added to color the glass to the desired shade. At this point, the molten glass is drawn into long, thin tubes. Historically, “a hollow globe of molten glass was attached to two metal plates with rods. Two men, each holding one of the rods, ran quickly in opposite directions, drawing out a tube of glass at least three hundred feet long. The original bubble of air remained as an orifice or tunnel running the entire length of the tube.” The modern French method is similar but the stretching is performed by a machine instead of the mad-dash method. The stretching phase is quite critical as atmospheric changes can affect the final bead color and the speed of pulling affects the final exterior size and the hole size. “The pulling of the molten glass creates the size difference itself by which the first sections pulled become the small sized beads since they are pulled farther, while the glass towards the end of the pulling process are larger in size since they are pulled not as far.” These long tubes are then cut into small sections called “canes.” The canes are sorted for size and then cut into small tubes which will eventually become the final bead. The beads are finished by “reheating techniques (tumbling and constricting) or by lapidary methods (grinding).” In the modern French process, the unfinished beads are “mixed together with crushed charcoal, sand, and liquid plaster” and “placed in another furnace and heated while rotating to 800 c which shrinks the tube to its permanent form of the round bead.” This is another critical step in the process because the heat creates the final roundness and the real color of the bead. Until this final step “the real color of the bead has not been seen. They have been colorless the precedent steps, which also creates the uncertainty if the correct shade has been achieved.”
The beads are now complete and are ready to be cleaned and packaged for shipment. The entire process has taken as long as 60 days to create a single color. As you can see, there are many steps in the process and even a slight variation can have a major effect on the final size, color, and shape of the bead. Hopefully, you now have some insight as to why every batch of beads we get can be a different shade and why it is almost impossible to obtain perfectly sized and shaped seed beads.
CHEVRON BEADS
Origin: World Wide
Chevron beads are a variety of glass beads that were first created by Venetian and local Murano artisans in Northern Italy following the Middle Ages in the late 1400s. Other names for these beads are Rosetta and Star beads. Chevron beads were traded across the world especially in West Africa where they were introduced by visiting Dutch merchants. Due to their maritime strength and prowess, Dutch traders traveled widely and spread many types of glass beads throughout the world including Chevron beads. The glass industry was a big business and led to many unique beads that have been passed through the ages. In some sense the Chevron trade bead is considered the aristocrat of the bead industry because of it difficult to make and highly coveted as a trading item. In one of the earliest iterations, the Chevron consisted of seven different layers. Chevron beads are created and made using special techniques.They are classified as a type of drawn bead meaning they are made from glass cane that is created using a specially shaped mold. This process involves stretching the glass into a long tube with a hollow core on which additional layer can be applied, fused, and successively molded. Complex Chevron beads require multiple different layers.
The process is concluded when bead edges are pinched to reveal a characteristic pattern zigzag or star pattern created by alternating layers of different colored glass on top of one another and stripes on the outside perimeter of the bead. The number of layers and colors and sizes has been varied over time however the most popular colors in West Africa have been a combination of red, blue and white.
MALAS
Mantras for magnetizing should be recited using malas made of saffron, lotus seed, sandalwood, or other forms of wood including elm, peach, and rosewood. However, it is said the most effective is made of precious coral, which, due to a ban on harvesting, is now very rare and expensive. Malas to tame by forceful means or subdue harmful energies, such as “extremely malicious spirits, or general afflictions”, are made from rudraksha seeds, or bone.
SHELLS
COWRIE SHELLS
Origin: World Wide But Mainly Papua New Guinea & South Pacific
Shell money is a medium of exchange similar to coin money and other forms of commodity money, and was once commonly used in many parts of the world. Shell money usually consisted of whole or partial sea shells, often worked into beads or otherwise shaped. The use of shells in trade began as direct commodity exchange, the shells having value as body ornamentation.
The shell most widely used worldwide as currency was the shell of Cypraea moneta, the money cowry. This species is most abundant in the Indian Ocean, and was collected in the Maldive Islands, in Sri Lanka, along the Malabar coast, in Borneo and on other East Indian islands, and in various parts of the African coast from Ras Hafun to Mozambique. Cowry shell money was an important part of the trade networks of Africa, South Asia, and East Asia.
In China, cowries were so important that many characters relating to money or trade contain the character for cowry: 貝. Starting over three thousand years ago, cowry shells, or copies of the shells, were used as Chinese currency. The Classical Chinese character for “money/currency”, 貝, originated as a pictograph of a cowrie shell.
In the islands north of New Guinea the shells were broken into flakes. Holes were bored through these flakes, which were then valued by the length of a threaded set on a string, as measured using the finger joints. Two shells are used by these Pacific islanders, one a cowry found on the New Guinea coast, and the other the common pearl shell, broken into flakes.
In the South Pacific Islands the species Oliva carneola was commonly used to create shell money. As late as 1882, local trade in the Solomon Islands was carried on by means of a coinage of shell beads, small shells laboriously ground down to the required size by the women. No more than were actually needed were made, and as the process was difficult, the value of the coinage was satisfactorily maintained.
Although rapidly being replaced by modern coinage, the cowry shell currency is still in use to some extent in the Solomon Islands. The shells are worked into strips of decorated cloth whose value reflects the time spent creating them.
On the Papua New Guinea island of East New Britain, shell currency is still considered legal currency and can be exchanged for the Papua New Guinean kina.