Spring is approaching, and I’m starting to ponder my wardrobe. Soon it will be the right weather for dresses, shorts, sandals, and colorful beads (she said hopefully).

Charm bracelets are a great way to show off choice items from a bead collection, especially if you only have a couple of this or that fancy bead. I love these vintage “millefiori” beads from Japan, which are made by dotting the surface of the bead with a multicolored glass cane. Sometimes the bead is then enfolded in a layer of clear glass, like the big pink one at upper left.

Nobody knows color like the Italians, who also pioneered the crafting of glass beads. I hand-knotted this strand with black string to set off the colors. The mixture of bright, primary reds and blues with more muted green and orange is mood-lifting. Somehow the riot of color blends into a harmonious whole.

I also enjoy pastels, especially light pink. One of my most treasured strands is this extra-long one of vintage and antique trade beads. These beads are irregularly shaped because they were individually cut, not machine-made. They have a sculptural feel, like stones polished in a stream.