Bauxite Beads

A strand of approx. 66 Bauxite Beads strung on raffia 26″ long. The beads are a real mix of sizes and shapes. The largest bead is approx. 45 mm around by 15 mm and smallest is about 14 mm x 6 mm. These beads were bought from Traders at Ghana’s Bead Markets. These beads are made by the Beadmakers in Akyem Abompe in Ghana where they are handcrafted in a very labour intensive process starting from mining the bauxite from the nearby hills to drilling the holes. Bauxite is a type of aluminum ore. Bauxite Beads are a beautiful mix of Autumn browns ranging from quite a light almost orange brown to a deep rich brown. They give a necklace a natural look and feel. This strand is quite unusual as some of the beads are carved.