Chevrons

Chevrons are the most difficult and complicated of all the Venetian beads to make. Created by the Constantini family, they are made up of several layers of colored glass rods. Historically, chevrons were used in the rosaries of cardinals. Some of the most sophistacated chevrons had seven, eight or occasionally nine layers of color!

In Africa, during the bead trade, chevrons came to represent absolute power and authority. They were worn and collected exclusively by the tribal chiefs. During the American bead trade, tribal chiefs also retained chevrons for themselves.

In recent years bead makers in India and China have started copying them. I exclusively use and collect the chvrons created by the Constantinis.