Vintage glass nailhead beads.

Glass beads come in an infinite variety of shapes and colors. They range from ancient (eg: Roman, Phoenican, Egyptian) to vintage (eg: German, Italian, Czech) to modern (eg: Czech, Indian, Chinese). Arguably, all beads are collectible, but some are more collectible than others. It is also very subjective and depends on a person’s interest as to whether the bead is collectible or not. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

Production ranges from 1865 to about 1915 – made in Bohemia, Austrian Empire, and used primarily in the French clothing industry as embelishments on dresses and other articles of clothing.

The origins of the nailhead probably come from the use of metal Bezants (metal pressings - sew on) from which the German glass bead producers in Gablonz, Bohemia imitated as a low cost alternative. Their popularity exploded onto the market when Queen Victoria went into mourning and wore black for the rest of her life.

For an in depth discussion on bezants and other embellishments, click here: http://wkneedle.bayrose.org/Articles/stars_spangles_studs.html

The first nailheads were hand carved black jet, followed by imitation jet (black glass.) German and Czech bead makers still call black glass jet, to this day.

The first black glass nailheads were faceted round, faceted square or rectangle, with a dome top and a flat back so the bead could snuggle right up against the fabric of the clothing being embellished. The actual bead was very primitive, with the seam showing around the edges, and sometimes the hole almost breaking through the back of the bead. The facets are not perfect (much like a metal nail that has been hit repeatedly by a hammer – hence the name nailhead). Pressed glass beads using a graphite mold were only invented and produced starting in 1832, so the technology was very new and unsophisticated back then.

After a while, shapes began to appear, such as navettes, both one hole and two hole, bohedes (hollowed out dome shape), then flowers, fruit, animals and other fantasy shapes. Soon, colors were added to the range, with opague white, hematite, then all colors. Lastly, coating were added to complete the range of bead styles available.

Besides embelishments for clothing, nailheads were used as jewelry components for brooches, necklaces and earings, both using thread and with metal components soft soldered together to create beautiful and unique pieces. Examples of the latter type of jewelry are on permanent display in the Museum of glass and jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic.

Nailheads have become hard to find now, but every once in a while a stash is found both here in the US and over in Europe.

One of the most sought after nailheads is the Bronze finish ones. J-Me Loves them!

We found and purchased one such stash back in the late 1990’s in Jablonec, approximately 600 kg.

Now in our warehouse.

Here is a sweet little article about nailheads posted to the blog of our friends Dick and Marie of East of Oz. Enjoy: http://beadbrats.blogspot.com/2011/02/vintage-adventure-nailheads-unwrapped.html .

Recently, in 2014, we were offered a stash of about 1000 kg that were found when a house in Jablonec was being offered for sale and a back room was cleaned out and boxes of old nailheads were uncovered. We turned down the offer at that time and the beads had vanished a year later when we inquired about them again. Someone got them, we hope, and not thrown away into a landfill.

If you are a lover of beads, and a collector, nailheads are for the most inexpensive and have a rich history. They are a great addition to any glass bead collection. And if you are just starting your collection, nailheads would be great start.