All paths for glass seed bead lovers lead to Crystal Valley. Please accept our invitation to a small sample of what is being made from them in various corners of the world. Welcome to the global empire ruled by the Queen called Bead.
Did you know that the largest manufacturer of glass beads is based in the Crystal Valley?
It is Preciosa Ornela, with factories in Desná and Zásada. And that there isn’t a place on Earth where they aren’t known? Neither renowned fashion designers in modern metropolises nor indigenous tribes at the ends of the earth can do without them. Why?
The big things in life are often made up of small ones—in the case of beads, even tiny ones. Although there is an endless variety of shapes today, they are mostly round and colorful, just like our planet. Thanks to the hole in the center, they can be strung or sewn on, used to create whole worlds of their own. And it’s far from just about decoration. Through the chosen color combination, it is possible to communicate wordlessly with those around you; they can serve as a symbol or a magical object—perhaps a protective amulet, or even currency.
PLACE:
Post Office Café
nám. Dr. E. Beneše 584/24, Liberec, Czech Republic
View Map
EXHIBITION HOURS
August 25 - September 28, 2026
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (Tuedays - Saturdays) / closed Sundays and Mondays
OPENING RECEPTION
August 24, 2026, 5 p.m.
GUIDED TOURS
of the exhibition with Petr Nový
August 28, 2026, 4 – 6 p.m.
The exhibition is part of Crystal Valley Week 2026.
Glass seed beads became established in northern Bohemia in the 18th century. At that time, glassmakers from the Jizera Mountains began cutting them from glass tubes and shaping them into round or faceted forms. They drew inspiration from Italian products from the Venetian island of Murano, but soon surpassed them in quality and variety. By the mid-19th century, thanks to exporters from the Jablonec region, Czech seed beads were being shipped in large quantities to customers on every continent. Europe was soon joined by North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some used middlemen for trade, while others, such as Albert Sachse or the Jäckel brothers, exported their goods directly. And very successfully. Sachse became so wealthy that he co-owned the world’s largest seed bead factory in Venice and financed research expeditions into the heart of Africa; before World War I, Ernst Jäckel served as the Austrian consul for Nigeria, the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and St. Helena.
In addition to indigenous African tribes, the Native Americans—the Indians—could not imagine life without glass seed beads. After all, legend has it that the Dutch acquired the island of Manhattan, the heart of New York, from them in the 17th century in exchange for these very seed beads. Some researchers even claim that the availability of seed bead colors determined the style of traditional clothing among North American Indian tribes. While on the eastern coast of the continent, closer to Europe and major trading ports, the indigenous peoples had easy access to a variety of colors, in the west and in the interior of the continent, they were mostly limited to white, black, or brown—colors that did not sell in the East.
The exhibition "Bead for the Whole World" presents this tiny glass ornament as it is perceived and used by people living tens of thousands of kilometers away from where it is made. They are the ones who crafted the pieces you can see here. Their skill, taste, and spirit are imprinted in them. For the glass seed bead is a true bridge between people of different cultures, faiths, interests, and aspirations. A bridge full of imagination, just like life itself.
(Petr Nový, State Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou)
Today PRECIOSA ORNELA with the factories in Desná and Zásada is the largest producer of seed beads in the world, producing a staggering 3.5 million kilograms annually. If we were to string a year’s production end to end, we would encircle our planet several times over with a vibrant colorful ring. Only PRECIOSA ORNELA can produce so many shapes, colors, sizes and surface finishes that can be combined with each other – more than 255 thousand!
In Europe, seed beads are mainly a means of self-expression in hobby items and have also become popular with fashion designers. In the east of the continent, rooms are decorated with embroidered beaded pictures. In America, they are also used to create traditional ornaments or souvenirs of indigenous cultures and, of course, they cannot be missed at any carnival. What would Africa be without beaded ornaments and what souvenirs would pilgrims to the holy places of Islam buy? Seed beads are also popular in Asia, where they are used to decorate clothes, jewellery and interiors. Isn't Turkey the kingdom of appliques – decorations for the Arabian Nights – and India a country literally strewn with seed beads?
All paths for glass seed bead lovers lead to Crystal Valley. Please accept our invitation to a small sample of what is being made from them in various corners of the world. Welcome to the global empire ruled by the Queen called Bead.
(Petr Nový, Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou)
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