Beads and Jewelry, Art and Fashion
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Color is important in art, beauty, and fashion. It certainly is paramount in the beauty of glass beads and jewelry. So I am now beginning a series of entries on the history of various colors. Before we start, lets talk about what color is. Colors are the way we perceive light. Black is the absence of light. All of visible light together is white. The 3 basic colors that make up white light are red, yellow, and blue. The other colors are combinations of those 3 basic colors.
As for color in glass beads, the ancient Egyptians made colored glass by mixing various metals and minerals with the glass. The art spread to Phoenicia and Mesopotamia. Colored glass became popular in Europe during the Middle Ages because of its use in making stain glass windows in churches. The art of making colored glass became particularly developed in Venice. Colored glass remains popular today in glass beads and beaded jewelry.
The Color Lavender

Lavender color refers to various shades of pale purple inspired by the color of the lavender flower. The first references to the use of lavender as a perfume and as an herb go back to ancient times. The ancient Egyptians used it in preparing mummies. The Romans used it in their baths and in cooking food. The ancient Greeks called it naardus after the Syrian city of Naardus which they considered to be its origin. The cultivation and use of lavender spread from Greece to France and from there throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. During Renaissance times, it was believed to ward off infection. During the Great Plague in London in the 1600s, people wore lavender around their wrists because they believed it would prevent the infection. It was also believed to bring romance in Renaissance times. Girls would put it in their pillows hoping it would bring a husband. Newlyweds would put it under their beds thinking it would be an aphrodesiac. In the 19th Century, it was associated with lack of maleness in men and became the color of homosexualism in middle 20th Century. Aside from its historical, emotional, and religious aspects, lavender remains a beatiful color today and often is incorporated into glass beads and jewelry.
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