Blue Trumpet Bead Pendant

Historical Information

Type: Tapered Trumpet-Shape Glass Bead

Material: Blue Pressed Glass

Date: Likely Late 19th-Early 20th Century

Find Location: Colchester, Essex UK

Extra Information:

This elegant tapered blue glass bead is an example of early pressed-glass beadmaking, a technique that became widespread during the late 1800s. Beads of this shape — narrow at the top and widening towards the base - are often referred to as trumpet beads, cone beads, or tapered tube beads. They were produced using moulds, which allowed for uniform shapes and crisp edges at a time when fashion demanded elaborate trimming and embellishment.

During the Victorian and Edwardian periods, beads like this were used on clothing, handbags, jewellery, and decorative household items. Their clean geometric lines and bright colours made them especially popular for evening wear and for the beaded fringes found on shawls, capes, and lampshades.

Lost long ago, this bead was later uncovered in Colchester and bears the soft, naturally weathered surface typical of glass that has spent decades underground. Now set as a pendant, it carries a small fragment of late 19th- to early 20th-century domestic history - transformed into a unique and wearable piece once again