Tags

, ,

I don’t wear this one often, but when I do, it gets noticed. It’s a necklace with a happy vibe and it makes people smile.

beads6

A fruit necklace with a a banana centerpiece.

I have a weakness for vintage glass lamp work, especially these Japanese beads in the shape of fruits. They are so stylized that I’m never quite sure what sort of fruit they are meant to be (except for the banana). They were used in novelty jewelry from the 40s through the 60s.

fruitbeads1

Fantasy fruit! I call it “frosted whiteberry” and figure it’s like a cross between coconut and strawberry.

fruitbeads2

A different group of “whiteberries” which are larger, cream-colored and pearlescent.

fruitbeads3

I call these “peach berries” –somewhere between a peach and a strawberry. They are light pink with orange stippling.

fruitbeads4

A jolly string of oranges… I think.

fruitbeads5

This strand has some Japanese millefiori (the green ones) and some really bizarre fruit beads–oranges with yellow granulation and green leaves.

Screen Shot 2015-11-28 at 3.59.36 PM

Here’s an example of how such beads would have been used originally, with little green leaves, on a strand of milk glass. Vintage necklace photo from Ebay.