cool beads

Round beads of purple amethyst circle the wrist in this Balinese stretch bracelet, centered by a floral sterling silver pendant with the omkara symbol for om, a mantra representing universal consciousness. Ketut Sulastri designs this enchanting bracelet.

Guatemalan artisan Angelina Roquel wants to banish those bitter nightmares from your mind and allow your soul to enjoy an ethereal and serene dream. With a spirit full of uniqueness, Angelina handcrafts a glass beaded dreamcatcher, putting her love and creative heart into each detail. The piece comes in a palette of green, blue and purple hues to create a calm aura, finishing with dangling fringes joined to the sturdy stainless steel structure.

Show your love of Guatemalan traditions with this lively beaded mini shoulder bag, modeled after the beloved giant kites known locally as barriletes. On All Saints Day, the imposing kites soar, representing a line between this world and the next. Skilled Hands of Atitlan artisans honor the custom by hand-stringing glass beads in vibrant hues, creating a petite accessory perfect for stashing your keys, spare change and other small valuables.

Culture and color blend in this vibrant mini shoulder bag inspired by Guatemala's famous All Saints Day barrilete kites. Hands of Atitlan's gifted artisans channel the traditional symbol into a delightful accessory, intricately threading bright glass beads by hand. Carry this lightweight accessory to keep petite daily essentials, like keys and change, close while celebrating meaningful heritage.

Celebrate Guatemalan traditions by carrying this vibrant beaded mini shoulder bag inspired by the giant kites known as barriletes, flown to honor ancestors. On November 1st, All Saints Day, Guatemalans take to the skies with the kites to feel connected to those who've passed. Hands of Atitlan's talented artisans channel this meaningful symbol into an exquisitely handcrafted bag, expertly threading glass beads in an array of lively colors. Keep your keys, spare change and other small essentials close while celebrating cultural heritage.

Two faces emerge from the sides of this spectacular wall mask, testifying to the admirable artistry of Awudu Saaed. He crafts his original design with sese wood, adorning the many faces with colorful recycled glass beads and embossed brass. The Ghanaian artisan names this wall mask Oluebube, meaning "Glorious Work" in the Igbo language.

Designed with good fortune in mind, Samart Takham's pretty macrame anklet is sure to bring you luck. The Thai artisan centers the anklet with a single lapis lazuli bead and a 950 Karen silver om charm. A hand-knotted cord, made from waxed polyester, tightens with a sliding knot clasp, while 950 Karen silver beads add shine.

A myriad shades of blue conjure a cool and soothing universe in this elegant nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. Scorpions scuttle purposefully around the center of the composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artist, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "From the focal center of the nierika, the precious flower arises in spiral movement as the culminating expression of the deepest roots. The blossom is keeping in its entrails the seed that will disseminate the power of creative energy. This is symbolized by the scorpions that, in their wonderful body symmetry, show the essence of the power itself, since any imbalance in its mating dance, any missing the target, will cause its own poisoning and thus its own death. Therefore the symbol of cosmos, of order is shown in their mouths and the tails."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

Inspired by the masks used by the Igbo people of Nigeria, Ghana's Christopher Nyasafo designs a striking African mask that depicts a traditional water spirit. This hand-carved sese wood mask, which features a brown, rustic face, has squinting eyes and black lips. The spirit's black horns are accented with four beads of recycled glass.

The colors of the beads can vary slightly.

Featuring a blue corona painted by hand, this original African mask is hand-carved from local sese wood by Ghanaian artisan Awudu Saaed. Accented with aluminum and multicolored glass beads, the face of the mask features a complex textured design.

Barro negro, or "black clay", is a distinctly Oaxacan crafting tradition that dates back centuries. Mariana Barranco in Mexico creates this gorgeous necklace with a heart-shaped barro negro pendant, incised with small petal motifs. The pendant graces a sterling silver rolo chain stationed with glossy black crystal beads.