...inspired by ancient spirits
Trade Beads with Scrimshaw by Walker Goldsmiths is dear to my Scrimshaw loving heart. Many years ago when we were first starting in this jewelry business I would create Scrimshaw pieces on Ivory that Owen would set in silver or gold. The best material to scrim on is fossil mastodon […] Read more »
Rainy Day Blues Trade Bead Necklace and Earring Set by Walker Goldsmiths is always fun to wear. These shades of blue Trade Beads are bright and sparkly. They are always attractive, kind of Bohemian yet historical and semi formal. Their history is fascinating. The center focus bead is an 1800’s […] Read more »
Trade Beads …Salish Sea with White Caps, Necklace and Earrings set was a joy to make here at Walker Goldsmiths. Creating this trade bead necklace design had me remembering my childhood chasing around in little speedboats on the Salish Sea. I grew up on the Tulalip Reservation in Port […] Read more »
Grizzly In the Cedars, Trade Beads with Handcarved Sterling Silver Grizzly Bear Pendant created by Walker Goldsmiths. The authentic, antique Trade Beads in this necklace are Carnelian, Coral, Orange Padres, Jasper, Jet, Onyx, Jade, Horn, Amber, Watermelon Chevrons and Venetian Fancy’s, all strung up with a Black Lip Pearl Shell […] Read more »
“Potlatch Ready, Let’s Go!” Trade Beads with Handcarved Sterling Earrings was an inspired piece for me to create here at Walker Goldsmiths. The traditional Hudson’s Bay White Hearts with their cheerful red glass layer over white glass, together with the Venetian Fancy Spotted Cranberries are party perfect. I teamed them […] Read more »
Walker Goldsmiths was called upon to make a custom Handcarved Sterling Silver Eagles with Trade Beads Necklace for a friend of our friend, Monica Decker, at Crazy Wolf Gallery in Ketchikan, AK. Monica wanted to know if Owen was willing to carve these 1 inch Sterling Eagles for earrings. and […] Read more »
Walker Goldsmiths created this little Sterling Silver Hummingbird with Cobalt Trade Beads as a gift for someone who loves Hummingbirds. I called it “Summer Memories.” The Trade Beads used are the famous Russian Blues that have such a colorful and rich history. The additional beads are faceted Blue Lace Agates, Cobalt […] Read more »
Here at Walker Goldsmiths I love to create Trade Bead Jewelry especially with Prehistoric Artifacts, because Trade Beads are themselves artifacts from bygone eras. That’s not to say that they aren’t collected and sold and traded today, but they are more a beautiful historic curiosity than a currency of sorts. […] Read more »
Walker Goldsmiths purchased a treasure of Artifacts from a trader that included some marvelous ancient Arctic worked Bone and Ivory pieces. The pieces are fragments of bone and ivory that were used by the natives for practical everyday items such as sled runners, bundle toggles, fish spear points, harpoon valve […] Read more »
Both Owen and I at Walker Goldsmiths are nuts about Trade Beads. We’ve been collecting, learning, trading and creating jewelry with trade beads for over 40 yrs. We’ve seriously focused on faceted Cobalt Blue Russians because we love the […] Read more »