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Shells & Natural Beads

Handmade shell and stone beads

Africans have always adorned themselves with shells and other natural materials and that tradition is still strong today.

Take, for example, the humble cowrie shell. It's used in jewellery and as an embellishment on textiles. Historically, it's been used as money. In fact, the Ghanaian currency - the Cedi - actually means 'cowrie'.

Also in Ghana, stone beads carved from bauxite are both ceremonial and practical: pregnant women wear bauxite beads as protection against evil words.

Bead size and scale

As a visual clue to the size and scale of our beads, we use a Star beer cap in our bead images. Why Star? Because it's the major beer of Ghana where most of our beads are made. Also, on the buy pages, we indicate approximate bead dimensions in millimetres.

Drilling bauxite beads Abombe GhanaAsanti Amishade drilling bauxite stone beads: Abompe, Ghana
Multi-buy saving - Mix 'n' Match

Any 10 for the price of 9
Applies to all £2.35 packs of beads. Your discount will be applied automatically at the checkout.


Nature's Treasure Bag
image for Nature's Treasure Bag
£11.50TBA008
Leather Thong Necklace
image for Leather Thong Necklace
£6.50BSH214
Terracotta Seed Bead Strings
image for Terracotta Seed Bead Strings
£3.00BSH011
Large Cowrie Shells
image for Large Cowrie Shells
£2.35BSH222
Cowrie Shells
image for Cowrie Shells
£2.35BSH001
Scallop Shells
image for Scallop Shells
£2.35BSH002
Large Snail Shell Beads
image for Large Snail Shell Beads
£2.35BSH215
Snail Shell Beads
image for Snail Shell Beads
£2.35BSH003
Coconut Shell Large
image for Coconut Shell Large
£2.35BSH221
Coconut Shell
image for Coconut Shell
£2.35BSH007
Medium Stone Beads
image for Medium Stone Beads
£2.35BSH016
Small Stone Beads New
image for Small Stone Beads
£2.35BSH225
Black Clay Mix
image for Black Clay Mix
£6.50BSH220
Black Clay Cone
image for Black Clay Cone
£0.90BSH223
Black Clay Disc
image for Black Clay Disc
£0.90BSH224
Black Clay - Small
image for Black Clay - Small
£2.35BSH204
Black Clay - Medium
image for Black Clay - Medium
£2.35BSH219
Black Clay - Large
image for Black Clay - Large
£3.10BSH218
Spindle Whorl
image for Spindle Whorl
£0.90BSH018
Small Carved Bone
image for Small Carved Bone
£2.35BBB201
Medium Carved Bone
image for Medium Carved Bone
£2.35BBB203
 
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