Welcome to our reading area.
Here you can find online versions of our printed articles, as well as posts by Ornament staff and contributors. You can also peruse our Bead Dictionary, a cooperative effort by Penny and Joyce Diamanti of Beadazzled, and Ornament Coeditor Robert K. Liu, now hosted here after Beadazzled closed in 2018.
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MADE IN INDIA
Dutch bead researcher and glass artist Floor Kaspers describes vividly in words and photographs the current production of glass beads in India, resulting from her extensive travels to Europe and Asia to study beadmaking around the world. The story of beadmaking in India involves the cross-pollination of influences from across the globe, including the former Czechoslovakia and Venice.
Worn On This Day
Author Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell presents 365 garments, one for each day of the year, in her latest book Worn on This Day. She explains the how and why behind each piece of clothing and its significance—an example being the great athlete Jim Thorpe’s wearing mismatched track shoes when he won the 1912 Olympics. These insights, many from great moments in history, show how every piece of clothing has a tale to tell.
Reader’s Picks
Indian chevron beads before they improved their technique. There are now also Chinese made chevron beads of good quality. RKL
VISIT OUR
BEAD DICTIONARY
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. 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.
Features and Departments
Please note that these articles have been reformatted for web viewing. To read the full article as it was intended, purchase the magazine or article PDF.
The Shoe Fits.
We’re all about footwear. Classical, fashion and craft.
Read Global.
In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to be informed about the rich tapestry of personal adornment. Explore the fine craftsmanship of India’s silver and goldsmiths, learn about the Indian bead trade, or find out more on the renaissance of African-print in the fashion world.
