History of Beads

Czech glass beads began in 3rd  century B.C., when Celtic craftsmen began to produce the first glass beads in Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic. These beads were of great value for trades and personal ornamentation. Over  the next several centuries, glassmaking techniques progressed internationally. It was perfected by the Italians. Czech artisans adopted these Italian techniques and through experimentation, uncovered the Italians secrets that they weren't willing to share.

Czech glassmakers also cultivated their own glassmaking techniques. The most significant was their unique contribution to the process of molding glass to create pressed glass beads, fire-polished finishes and mass production of their products.

In the middle of the 16th century, Zasada, became the home of a new glassworks factory. From this village, Czech glassmakers first expanded their trade, exporting glass beads around the world.

Today, Czech glass is primarily produced by the renowned manufacturer Preciosa in high-tech, industrialized bead factories. The intense labour required to make glass beads, before the current industrialization, they made their glass beads by painstakingly cutting them by hand with knives, then hand polishing one bead at a time and strung them.

It wasn't until the 1830's that machines were invented for glass bead production. Hand cutting and polishing was now being replaced by machines. The newer automated production dramatically increased output, while maintaining quality and consistency.

Today Preciosa, based in Zasada, is the largest producer of glass and seed beads in the world.