Have you ever studied a strand of hand-formed African Recycled glass beads and wondered what they might have been in a former life? Such is the depth and variety of colors used for Recycled glass beads, I wanted to find out exactly what kind of glass scrap was being upcycled to make my beads, and how the variations in color were achieved. Here are just a few of the most common waste items used to make beads in Ghana.
Coca Cola Bottles
Their limited production has meant that green Coca Cola Bottles are considered collector’s items in the West. Not in Africa! As far as members of the Krobo are concerned, all glass matter is prime bead-making material, and the more varied the color the better. Green cola bottles are particularly favored because of their delicate hue. The resultant beads are a glorious sea-foam green in color.
Vanity and Cold Cream Jars
During the early 1900s, it simply wasn’t cost-effective to produce clear glass for commercial packaging as silica was both expensive and difficult to obtain. To limit the amount of silica used, other elements such as pot-ash, lime, and sodium were added, causing the glass to turn green or blue. Before the advent of plastic, everything from Vaseline to body moisturizer was packaged in glass jars, and it’s these items in their broken state which are primarily used for light and cobalt blue beads today.
CRT Television Screens
LCD televisions are still too expensive for most African households, but that doesn’t mean they don’t occasionally upgrade to newer models. As soon as the televisions are dumped at waste disposal depots, artisans strip them of valuable craft materials such as copper, glass and metal alloys. The smoky gray of television screens creates subtle blue-grey beads that look just like beach glass.
Beer and Wine Bottles
Like cola bottles, beer and wine vessels can be found in abundance in Africa. Their diverse colors produce beads in earthy ambers and toffee browns, as well as emerald and pale green. Darker colors are often mixed with clear glass too to produce recycled glass beads with swirled designs and marbling.
Blue Swirl Recycled Glass Beads
