Blue Russian Style Trading Beads
While these beads offered here are modern reproductions of Russian Blue trading beads used on the West Coast of British Columbia since the 1700's, they represent a significant time in the history of British Columbia and the rest of Canada. These Beads average 10mm in length and 13mm in diameter.
About Blue Russian Trading Beads
The use of glass trade beads by merchants and explorers dates back to the time of the Pharohs, but here on the beautiful West Coast of British Columbia it has only been roughly 350 years. Russians would trade with the Inuit for Sea Otter and Seal pelts and the first Europeans landing in Friendly Cove used glass trade beads as well as other hard good and textiles to trade with the West Coast Indigenous peoples they encountered.
The beads themselves were hand faceted and ranged in size from 10mm down to 5mm in length and originated in Bohemia in what is now the modern day Czech Republic first making an appearance in North America in the mid 1700s. Original antique Blue Russian trade beads are becoming harder to find but are out there in various antique stores and West Coast Native art dealers.