Glass and bead making in Bohemia (Czech Republic) dates back to Roman times. By the 1200 a number of small cottage factories were producing beads for use in rosaries. In the 19th century, Bohemia and Venice were added to the Austrian Empire and competition between the two major glass producers increased. Until then, both were producing similar products. Industrial innovation brought about changes and improvements and by 1929 the Czech Republic was the largest exporter of glass beads in the world. This tradition of bead making has continued despite wars and political upheaval. Centuries of expertise have resulted in quality that is hard to match. Czech seed beads are beautiful and very hard wearing which makes them the perfect choice for jewellery.
