African Trade Beads Beads carry centuries of history with them. African Trade Beads got their name because they have come from Amsterdam, Venice, Saudi Arabia and other 16th Century African Trade Routes. They have been used as currency in many parts of the world. In Africa, beads are symbols of wealth and social rank. It is formed with tree resin buried and pressed beneath the earth for as long as 20,000 years.
Natural cracks enhance the beauty.
As recently as the 1940's, Copol Amber was used in bride purchases by the nomadic Fulani Tribe in Mali. One large bead was the equivalent of 4 cows. Legends say the Bodom comes from the ground and if buried, will reproduce. Beads carved from bone and worn to express strength and power. The bone generally comes from cattle, monkeys or camels.