When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
A lot of six 14K gold filled beads, 10mm to 11mm diameter, weight of 1.4 grams each (8.4 g for the 6). They\'re old ones, 1960s vintage new old stock, and have an unusual shape, twisted and fluted but with an almost rope-like milgrain edge that catches the light, they\'re pretty. The stringing holes are about 2.5 mm and have that starburst shape to protect the cord, good quality.
The original packages of these were marked 14k GF 10mm, but I keep getting 11mm as the measure on them (we really need a caliper!). It may be that when they were new in the 60s the sizing was based on the core diameter, not including the flanged rope-twist edges? I don\'t know, but they\'re all the same size, see the ruler image. They also didn\'t use the modern 14/20 GF nomenclature back then but these are the same thing, 1/20 14k gold filled, and a lot heavier than the modern iterations of GF twist beads, too.
Apparently in the 60s these were sold either by the gross (12 dozen) or in packs of 6, called something like \'Round Swirl, Fancy,\' and came in various sizes. My mom didn\'t need 144 of this 10mm/1 cm size, so these are some of her unused 6-packs, old now but as new.
She tells me this was called \"the Hamilton gold finish,\" which was a softer, more subtle color of 14k yellow gold, a champagne color, different from mere gold flashed things that were \"too bright yellow, looked garish.\" See split photo, the color of gold here really does have an ashen or champagne cast in daylight. (Apparently it was a serious beauty thing at mid-century, ash blonde beehives were everywhere so girls ran the risk of looking \"ghastly and sallow\" if their gold jewelry was a brash-colored yellow instead of this. Who knew?)
American made, these came from some beads and findings place in Rhode Island, now long gone. They seem to be a rare type since gold filled beads were made by specialized machines over a brass core back then, those machines long gone too.
Good for restoring vintage jewelry, especially for matching with existing older beads. (I couldn\'t find a single other bead like these new online, all were smooth fluted twists, most much smaller and flimsier, and none with this shimmery milgrain beaded edge.)
We\'re happy to answer any questions -- and if you are into making jewelry, see our other listings. A lot of interesting vintage jewelry stuff is coming, from my mom\'s 50-year stash (we say hoard, she says stash, but who\'s judging). Whenever possible we\'ll always combine shipping, but I think you may have to request an invoice these days, just let us know.
