Antique Faceted Banded Agate Trade Bead from Idar Oberstein 41x11mm

Antique Faceted Banded Agate Trade Bead

Discover a stunning Antique Agate bead from the famed Idar Oberstein workshops in Germany. This exquisite old stone trade bead features:

• Size: 41 mm × 11 mm
• Hole diameter: approx. 1.5 – 2 mm
• Condition: Excellent vintage quality, with gentle signs of wear that add character and attest to its age and journey.

This faceted banded Agate displays shimmering layers of translucent and opaque bands, cut into facets that catch the light with every turn. Crafted in the late 1800s, it served as a coveted trade bead, cherished in West Africa, especially Ghana, for its beauty and value.

Collectors and bead enthusiasts will appreciate its rarity, hand-cut in Germany’s famed gem region, Idar Oberstein, and carried for trade along African routes where Agate beads became a form of currency and cultural adornment. This bead embodies a rich history of cross‑continental exchange and artistry.

About Faceted Idar Oberstein Agate Beads & African Trade Legacy

Faceted Agate beads from Idar Oberstein are masterpieces of German lapidary art. Each bead is hand‑shaped and polished, enhancing the natural banding of Agate, transforming raw stone into luminous gems. In the late 1800s, German beadmakers produced these beads in small workshops using traditional cutting wheels and demanding craftsmanship.

Once carved, they traveled to coastal West Africa, where they were highly prized as Agate trade beads. In Ghana and across Africa, these beads held deep economic and social significance, used for bride-wealth, status display, and spiritual ceremonies. The vibrant banded Agate stones became woven into cultural identity, symbolizing connection between continents.

Today, owning such a bead connects you to centuries of artistry, from German gem-cutting heritage to African trade traditions.

Explore more rare beads and vibrant glass bead art from TribalGH:

• New African Krobo Glass Beads by TribalGH
• Archived Trade Beads Collection by TribalGH
• Watch how Krobos produce their beads