Horn Beads

Horn beads have since ancient times been a member of mankind's jewelry supplies. Horn beads can be made from a wide variety of animal horns. Water buffalo, oxen, and cow horns are commonly used. Horn beads are very light weight and easily carved, which makes the material useful in jewelry making. One can use a quite large horn bead in earrings and not cause the earrings to pull on the ears. Natural colors include black, brown, tan, gray, white, and red. Horn has adequate thickness to be carved into a wide variety of shapes, and this has been done for centuries. As an organic material, horn is rather soft, but also feels warm to the touch, unlike stone beads.

The warmth of the material and the semi-matte finish make horn beads a lovely casual or ethnic touch wherever they are included in jewelry making projects. Although horn beads are often paired with gemstone beads, the choice of gemstone is most often an opaque stone rather than a transparent one. Black stone or agate is a wonderful mate to horn beads.

Horn is not associated with any birth dates or anniversaries. However, ivory, a tusk rather than a horn is associated with the 14th wedding anniversary in Western cultures.

common treatments: occasionally dyed

special care: avoid abrasion