Beads: An Exploration on Bead Traditions Around the World [Hardcover]

Janet Coles (Author), Robert Budwig (Creator), Jonathan Lovekin (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1997

Explores traditional beads and beaded jewelry from around the world, and offers thirty step-by-step projects replicating classic designs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684834626
• ISBN-13: 978-0684834627
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Highly Over-rated!, February 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beads: An Exploration on Bead Traditions Around the World (Hardcover)

The photographs in this book are pleasant enough, but the information is frequently incorrect. Coles and Budwig are following up their previous poorly-penned book with more of the same. Bead research is accomplished by people who dedicate years to this pursuit. Merely publishing a few photographs with some garbled and incorrect information may be entertaining (especially for anyone who doesn't know any better), but is a total waste of time for anyone who is seriously interested in the subject. It were infinitely better to refer to Dubin's History of Beads, or almost any other publication.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophisticated and elegant ethnic jewelry, September 28, 2002

By 

S. Brand "sandra807" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beads: An Exploration on Bead Traditions Around the World (Hardcover)

This book spends comparatively more time discussing types of beads, their history, where they are from, how they are made than it does on jewelry projects. Included are maps showing where many kinds of beads originate.

Whether or not the information is inaccurate, as one reviewer states it is, doesn't matter to me; I'm more interested in the projects, which are mostly necklaces. The jewelry pieces are designed to represent all the parts of the world the beads come from, so there are very authentic looking designs representing Venice, Africa, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, Ethiopia, India, and other cultures. The beautiful, large photos show a great assortment of designs to choose from with different looks, though many of them have a look that is natural and earthy, yet sophisticated and stylish. To me they are attractive and serve for great inspiration.

Already having jewelry skills, I can look at the pictures and make them without reading the instructions, but for those who need them, the instructions and diagrams are generally good. The main problem with the instructions is that they are printed in a small font in gray instead of black, so they are difficult to see.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bead and culture lover's delight!, August 16, 2000

By 

"tosborn" (New York State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beads: An Exploration on Bead Traditions Around the World (Hardcover)

I am a craftsperson in love with beads and enchanted by stories of where they're from, how they were made and who made them.... and I'm thrilled by nicely-made photos of people of other cultures. This book speaks to and very much satisfied those parts of me, and then iced the cake by offering easy-to-follow instructions for making many pieces of fabulous jewelry. I feel like the authors wrote the book specifically for me... for which I say thanks! :-))).