Origin of Wood Beads

Wood beads make great imitate jewelry at a far lesser cost.  What's more, wood can be found almost anywhere, so wherever there is wood, you can create your own wood beads.  Carpenters and carvers from various regions of the world make use of any available wood species while bead-making was given as an exercise for apprentices or as some form of artwork by journeyman and master during their spare time.  The end-result would be amazing variety of designs of wood beads that range in sizes, shapes, and types.

The unfortunate reality about wood beads is that they are taken for granted due to their quantity and because wood is regarded as too common.  However, in this article you'll find the efficacy of wood beads if incorporated into beautiful designs.

Types of Woods Used in Wood Beads

Hundreds of types of trees are able to provide materials to fabricate wood beads, among which are bamboo, olive, bayong, sandalwood, ebony, palm, ironwood, apple, rose, and pear, to name some of them.  These types of woods are being used for wood beads for either two reasons:: the grain of the wood is fine, or that the wood has aromatic properties.

Olive wood naturally has a wavy, red grain.  With age, the heartwood hardens and darkens, which makes an elegant design when made into wood beads.  You can find pruned olive wood from each year's harvest, and craft them into decorative beads.

Sandalwood makes lightweight and light-colored beads, not to mention that the wood has a distinct soothing aroma.  In Hindu belief, sandalwood is said to enhance clear perception of whoever wears them.

Rosewood is characterized for its dark, heavy, and dense wood, and wood beads from rosewood naturally feature black and dark brown lines.  Apart from the beautiful designs they can create, rosewood is believed to boost your aura and wards negative energies away.

Wood Beads for religious purposes

Aside from their decorative characteristics, certain trees are also regarded sacred by some religions.  Such is the Bodhi tree, which according to Buddhists belief is where Buddha stood under when he was enlightened.

Rudraksha Beads is one of those wooden beads considered sacred according to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Zen teachings for 5,000 years.  The origin of the Rudraksha (literal Hindu meaning, "Eyes of Lord Shiva") tree is attributed to the Hindu God Shiva.  Shiva was said to be meditating for 1,000 years with eyes wide open.  When Shiva finally blinked, the first tear that fell from his eyes and landed on the ground became Rudraksha seeds.  Rudraksha beads are being used for meditation or worn for everyday use.  These beads can be made into simple, elegant bracelet, necklaces, or crafted for prayer or rosary beads.  Combined with other beads, it also creates charming designs.