Old Small 5 mm Striped Venetian Seed Trade Beads Strand

Beautiful Old Venetian Drawn Seed Glass Trade Beads Strand

Presenting an exact matching strand of small size striped Venetian seed trade beads  your strand will be identical to the photos shown.

• Bead Size: 5 mm diameter each bead
• Strand Length: approximately 25 ¼″ (64 cm) of beads
• Condition: Excellent beads display rich, crisp stripes, full color, smooth polished surface, no chips or cracks

These are genuine Old Venetian Drawn (Conteria) seed beads, historically used in African trade during the early to mid‑1900s. Carefully matched and sorted, this strand exemplifies the finest quality and consistency for vintage trade beads collecting.

History, Value & Venetian Making Process

Dating back to the early to mid‑20th century, these Venetian trade beads also known as Venetian seed beads or tiny drawn beads were prized currency in African trade. Their value today stems from their authenticity, condition, striped pattern and uniform small size, highly sought by collectors and jewelry artisans alike.

These Conteria beads were hand‑drawn in Venice using time‑honored glassworking techniques: molten glass was stretched through a metal plate with tiny holes, then cut into short uniform segments. The stripes are created by layering colored glass rods before drawing. Each bead represents skilled Venetian craftsmanship from historic seed bead production.

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