Talking beads--three terms everyone should know

With most American Indian necklaces, and indeed most necklaces worldwide, one of the important component parts is the humble bead. A bead is defined as a small-decorative object with a small hole for threading or stringing, and in most cases in the American Southwest these beads are made of stone, shell or silver. They can be fabricated from metal or cut from stone or shell, but in all cases, the object is the same: to create a decorative strand that can be used as a piece of jewelry, either with or without additional items such as charms, najas or pendants. A simple goal, really, and quite dependent on the quality of the individual beads used by the artist.

When discussing older beads, not everything is so cut and dried. Why is a strand of turquoise beads from 1960 worth a certain amount, while a strand from 30 year earlier is worth so much more? Part of it is the quality of the turquoise, of course, but not all. And why do serious collectors look down their noses on something called "bench beads"? Are they creations of pure evil, to be worth so much less than other silver beads? Finally, why do veterans spend so much time looking at the holes of beads, be they stone, shell or silver? What are they trying to see with their fancy magnifiers? Those are questions we will try to answer here, by discussing three secific terms--pump-drilled, bench beads and string wear.

First up, "pump-drilled". To understand this term, it is necessary to realize that the Pueblos (where most stone and shell beads were produced) did not have electricity until relatively recently. (For instance, Santo Domingo, one of the main bead producing Pueblos, was only electrified sometime after 1945--some artists there remember it being sometime around 1957.) Without electric power, the only way to drill holes in beads was to use a pump drill or bow drill, like the one pictured below.

The user manipulates the cross beam with their hand, creating an up and down motion that spins the sharpened point one way, then the other. In skilled hands, and with a sharpened metal bit, it is still agonizingly slow going. The hole created is cone-shaped, and the driller goes until they have broken through the far side of the bead, at which point they turn over the bead and drill from the new side. The resulting hole is in an hourglass form, and the hole has a notable sloping inside that can be seen through a magnifier. with all the hard work involved, it is no wonder that when electricity and dental drills became available pump-drilled beads disappeared.

An old Navajo ring with a pump-drilled turquoise bead. Note that the hole is off-round, as is typical with pump-drilled holes. This is Steve's wedding ring, so please forgive the dirt.

Next, "bench beads". In older historic times, a silversmith would normally do every bit of work involved in making a piece of jewelry. Occasionally, a teacher would give a nearly finished piece to a student for polishing, but that was generally the extent of it. So, when the piece in question was a squash blossom necklace, that meant that the silversmith would make all three parts--the beads, blossoms and naja. With the coming of a more Anglicized market, however, Henry Ford's idea of a division of labor took hold. From the 1940s on, many necklaces were made assembly-line style, where one shop smith would make the naja while another would make beads all day, every day. These beads were made with an eye towards quantity rather than quality, and were not carefully finished or graduated like those on many fine old necklaces. Here are the beads on a fine old necklace:

And here is an example of "bench beads", which are smaller, lighter and not nearly as carefully constructed--note the sharp edges on the seam in the middle of the beads.

As bench beads go, these are actually very nice ones, but they in no way compare to earlier silver beads. The best contemporary artists make their own beads, and bench beads are more of a lower-end mass market phenomenon today.

And finally, "string wear". In old beads, be they silver, stone or shell, there is a little bit of movement along the stringing material. And when a bead has been strung on the same string for a good long time, the string will leave signs of this wear. The best place to look for string wear is actually along the hanger of a silver naja, but it shows up as well on the holes of beads. The wear should not be all-over ever, but rather should be a sensible kind of uneven--the more time a string spends on one place, like the hanger of a naja, the more wear there should be.

A bead and naja hanger on an old silver necklace, both showing string wear.

In the antique Indian jewelry game, older is better. And things like pump-drilled beads, or beads with good string wear, are clues to advanced age. On the other hand, the presence of bench beads is indicative of a newer, less carefully made piece. Every bit of information tells a story, and when the story fits the piece, it is a piece that a serious collector will really enjoy.

If you have any questions about anything in this extremely technical blog post, please feel free to give us a call.