These beautiful Brass Globe Beads from Ghana are made using the lost wax method, and are handcrafted by African Artisans. Each bead is made individually with painstaking attention to detail.
The strand of beads is approximately 60 cm / 24” long, with each bead measuring approximately 20 mm / 0.8” in diameter. Due to the nature of the beadwork, the sizes will vary by a few millimetres, and not every single bead will be identical to the others.
The Center design may vary, with generally triangular holes.
Bead size: 20mm
Strand length: 60cm/24”
Approximate # of beads: 26
Hole Size: 4mm
Weight of Strand: 188 g
About the Method and Artists:
These beads come from local artists and brass-workers in Ghana, they were purchased during one of our many trips to Africa.
The lost wax method is a form of metal casting in which a wax model is used to produce a metal work piece. This timely process generally begins with an original sculpture, which is then made into a mould of heat resistant material and filled with wax. When the wax burns away, a cast of the original figure is left behind. This cast is then filled with metal, and left to cool. The clay cast must then be broken away to reveal the final metal piece. This results in pieces which are always original, because the process requires the original sculpture to be remade every time.
Because of this, not every bead is perfect. The time and effort it takes to craft each bead is immense, and artists perfect their skills for years. Each piece of this necklace is unique!