Chief's Beads
Very difficult to find in quantitity other than singularly on mixed strands of beads.
In Lewis and Clark's voyage of discovery, they mention somewhat in dismay, that the preferred bead by the locals was blue. Seems the East coast Indians liked red beads of which they had many, but they only had a few blue beads. It has been fairly well determined that the blue beads they carried were similar to small "padre" beads. The larger "padre" beads where only given / traded to the "Chiefs" of a tribe, and that is where the name comes from.
The blue chief beads, like chief blankets, chief guns, etc., were always larger, or prettier, or cost quite a bit more. Many thanks to our customer / friend Steve in the USA, for the above.

         Czech "Chief's" Beads from the 1880s          Click HERE for small collections

18 x 25 mm   Sold
ss 251-61  £8

13 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-62  £5

12 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-63  £5

10 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-64  £5

13 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-65  £5

15 x 24 mm   Sold
ss 251-48  £6

15 x 20 mm   Sold
ss 251-49  £6

12 x 20 mm
ss 251-50  £6

9 x 20 mm
ss 251-51  £5

11 x 20 mm
ss 251-52  £5

11 x 20 mm   Sold
ss 251-53  £6

11 x 20 mm
ss 251-54  £6

13 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-55  £5

11 x 16 mm
ss251-56 £5

9 x 11 mm
ss 251-57  £4

14 x 24 mm   Sold
ss 251-06    £5

17 x 24 mm   Sold
ss 251-12    £6

12 x 21 mm
ss 251-14    £5

12 x 21 mm
ss 251-16    £5

18 x 21 mm   Sold
ss 251-17    £5

14 x 22 mm   Sold
ss 251-18    £5

14 x 20 mm   Sold
ss 251-21    £5

9 x 19 mm
ss 251-22    £5

10 x 16 mm
ss 251-23    £5

7 x 14 mm
ss 251-24    £4

6 x 14 mm
ss 251-25    £4

9 x 12 mm
ss 251-26    £4

4 x 12 mm
ss 251-29    £3

6 x 8 mm   Sold
ss 251-46    £3

5 x 7 mm   Sold
ss 251-47    £3

Rare to find - Rounded cylinder Beads

26 x 18 mm   Sold
ss 251-58  £6

23 x 19 mm   Sold
ss 251-59  £6

22 x 17 mm   Sold
ss 251-60  £6

28 x 17 mm   Sold
ss 251-33  £5

30 x 16 mm   Sold
ss 251-35  £5 c

26 x 17 mm   Sold
ss 251-37  £6

31 x 15 mm   Sold
ss 251-38  £6

24 x 17 mm   Sold
ss 251-40  £6

22 x 17 mm   Sold
ss 251-42  £4 c

20 x 18 mm   Sold
ss 251-43  £6

Key: Measurements in mm ( width along hole x diameter )  ** = with aventurine
Shape: b = barrel     bic = bicone    cyl = cylinder  c = small chip e = early production
           e = ellipsoid    sp = spherical   ta = tabular  
V = variable pattern style

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