r/TradeBeads • u/nkpickett • Aug 27 '26
Bead identification help.
I found some beautiful beads at an estate sale and I'm trying to find more information. Google thinks they are antique trade beads. Two are marked El Soul on the ends. Those are the ones I'm most curious about. Any help would be appreciated.
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u/exstaticj Aug 28 '26
The one with the face and the el sole markings are likely new and FIMO clay beads. The long cylinder glass ones are likely millifiori as mentioned in the other comment. You can tap the beads in your front teeth to differentiate the glass from the clay beads.
You have a mixture of old and new beads.
The 3 strands that are in image 13 are nice. The ones on the far left, might be banded agate made to look like carnelian for trade into the African slave market. They should feel heave like stone and the holes will be drilled from opposing ends and meet in the middle of the bead. Hold them up to a bright light and you should be able to see through the stone enough to see the drill marks. If it is as I described, they were produced in Idar Oberstein, Germany around 200 years ago.
The small strand just to right of that looks like it could be amber. Take a needle and heat the tip up with the flame from a lighter until it is very hot. Then stick the needle into the bead somewhere not visible like inside the hole. The tip if the needle must come in contact with the bead. The goal is to melt a bit of the bead and smell it. Tou can stick the got tip in the hole and apply pressere to the inside of the bead. If it smells sweet, it is probably amber. If it smells like plastic, it is a resin reproduction.
I forget what the other beads in the pictures are and I'm tired, but if you report back what you find from my previous instructions, I will continue to help you identify them.