Bead Dictionary Letter I

Introduction

In the late 1990s, Penny Diamanti, Joyce Diamanti and Robert K. Liu started working on a Bead Dictionary. Around 2009, after much work by the Diamantis, the Bead Dictionary was posted on the Beadazzled website. Through the years, additions were made by Beadazzled. In the summer of 2018, when the Washington DC Beadazzled store and its website closed, the Bead Dictionary was offered to Ornament. This is a unique resource, especially rich for information on beads of ethnographic and ancient origins. As Ornament has only a staff of three, we are slowly reposting it on our website, updating or expanding some of the entries and are adding search features, links and references as time permits. The Bead Dictionary covers primarily beads and other perforated ornaments, but also tools and materials used by those who make jewelry utilizing beads. Photographs from the Ornament archives are being added, as well as new images taken expressly for the Bead Dictionary and others are being brought up to current standards, as many of these images are almost 30 years old. Original photography was by Robert K. Liu, while Cas Webber did additional photos for Beadazzled, noted in the captions as RKL or CW, after first captions.

This Dictionary of Beads is a labor of love and a work in progress. We welcome your comments and suggestions through the Contact link. To navigate, select from the visual index above to jump to the letter you want in the Dictionary, but give the page a little time to load first. To get back to the top and select another letter use the arrow button. We are continuously adding to the Dictionary, so check back often. 

To search for keywords in Dictionary headings, use your browser's search function; for example in Internet Explorer use Control+F and in Apple Command+F, then type in your keyword. We hope you enjoy this (not-so-tiny) treasure, and learn more about the vast world of Beads.

Idar-Oberstein

Information to come...

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Imitation Leather

Imitation Sinew

This waxed polyester cord comes in light beige, brown, black and sometimes, other colors. One of the few beading cords available in the early 1970s, it worked well enough for large-holed African trade beads and chunky clay beads. Today the much more durable cable wire takes its place for most heavy necklaces. This cord’s drawbacks include low resistance to fraying, tendency to stretch and sometimes, excessive wax but it remains popular for some traditional Native American designs and among “mountain men” creating authentic costumes. Imitation sinew can be split or doubled to get different diameter cords.

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Imitations

Information to come...

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See Also: Replicas of Ancient Stone Beads From The Middle East Simulations and Copies Talhakimt Reproductions Warring States Beads—Glass Imitations

Impressing

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See: Stamping

Indian Glass Beads

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See Also: Luster Finish Lampworked Beads Mosaic Beads

Indian Organic Beads

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See Also: Horn Beads Bone Beads

Indian Silver Beads

Indo-Pacific Beads

Indonesian Lampworked Beads

Indonesian Metal

Indonesian Recycled Glass Beads

Lapidary (stoneworking) techniques have a long history in Indonesia. Stone beads dating from Neolithic times (2500-1000 BC) have been found near Solo, Central Java and the tradition continues. Sandstone and jasper beads were popular in the 1980s but more recently lapidary techniques have been applied to glass. The process seems to have begun with grinding to modify the shape of some ancient glass beads.

Recycling glass beads in Indonesia also started with ancient beads. Some less desirable older beads were melted down to make new beads, some broken beads were combined with each other, plain ancient beads were decorated with melted down Japanese seed beads etc.

As local Javanese legend has it, the business of recycled glass really got going when the local Coca Cola factory switched from bottles to cans. Suddenly an immense quantity of glass, that had formerly been reused, was available and it was just the right color to copy some ancient faceted crystal beads. Lapidary skills of cutting, grinding and perforating slabs of stone were applied to slabs of glass to make heavy bicones with typically five to six facets on each side. As these beads gained popularity in the US the range of sizes and shapes expanded greatly. Colors also became more diverse with reports of green being from wine bottles, amber from beer bottles, pale blue-gray from television screens, and seafoam green and clear being from the Coke bottles and architectural glass.

The beads are drilled from both ends as if they were stone, hand faceted and polished to a matte or shiny finish. The beads shown range in size from about 15 to 30mm in length.

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Inlaid Beads

Inlaid Beads—Wood

Inlaid wood beads are uncommon. Simple wood beads were once often used in rosaries, and today they are still produced in Germany, the Philippines, and other countries. Inlaid wood beads, however, are rare because they are so labor intensive. This elaborate wood bead from Cairo, which is inlaid with wood and mother-of-pearl, was purchased in the late 1970s. The same technique has long been employed to make boxes and furniture in Lebanon and Syria as well as in Egypt.

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Inside Painted Beads

Intaglio

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See: Stamping

Interpretations of Beads

Artists’ interpretations of beads are not designed to deceive. They often originate as a creative response to the beauty of the original beads, for examples Kiffa beads or Chinese Warring States eye beads or as an exploration of techniques used to in the originals. For example, Tom Holland demonstrated that horned eye beads could be made without preformed components while Jamey Allen explored how how folded glass beads were made by using Fimo. So many Fimo artists experimented with mosaic cane techniques that even most school children can now understand how Venetian glass mosaic trade beads were made.

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See Also: Fakes Replicas and Reproductions Simulations and Copies Holland, Tom Hughes, Tory Dustin, Kathleen

Iolite

The name iolite comes from the stone’s violet color. You may sometimes hear this stone referred to as water sapphire. The most important iolite deposits occur in Brazil, Madagascar, Burma, India and Sri Lanka.

Iolite works for people embarking on an inner journey. Emotionally, iolite releases discord within relationships and helps to overcome codependency. Iolite also aids in understanding and letting go of the causes of addictions.

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Irian Jaya Melon Beads

Information to come...

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Iridescent

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Iris Finish

Islamic Glass