A
bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood or pearl and that a small hole is drilled for
threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from
Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of
jewellery/jewelry.
Beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads. Beads can be woven together with specialized
thread, strung onto thread or soft, flexible
wire, or adhered to a surface (e.g.
fabric,
clay).