Carnelian Glass Faceted Bead Pendant

Historical Information

Type: Faceted Glass Bead (Faux Carnelian)

Material: Glass

Date: Likely 19th-Early 20th Century

Find Location: Thames Foreshore, London UK

Extra Information:

This beautiful faux-carnelian glass bead pendant is a small yet striking piece of our decorative past, shaped and softened by many years beneath the Thames. Glass beads coloured to imitate natural carnelian were widely produced throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, used in jewellery, clothing embellishments, rosaries, and household trimmings.

The bead's warm carnelian-style orange and red tones, combined with its subtly hand-cut facets, suggest it was originally created as a decorative accent designed to catch the light. Lost or discarded long ago, it has since been naturally weathered and smoothed by the river's tide, resulting in the unique, softened texture seen today.

While true carnelian is a semi-precious stone, its popularity led to the development of high-quality glass imitations that were more affordable and widely available. This bead represents a charming fragment of everyday Victorian or early 20th-century life - now transformed into a characterful, wearable piece of Thames history.