1930s golden crackle glass and amber bead necklace

Crackle glass bead necklaces appeared in the early 20th Century and became popular again in the 1950s and 1960s. This is a fine Art Deco example dating from the 1930s with graduated crackle glass beads separated by little flat square-cut glass beads. The crackle glass beads are individually made so each has its own character, many with a gentle opaline finish, but all with tinges of amber colour.

The necklace is approximately 40 cm long and fastens with a spring ring clasp. It is in lovely vintage condition with no chips to the beads.

Crackle glass was first developed and produced in 16th century Venice when master glass blowers invented the process of briefly submerging molten hot balls of glass in very cold water which resulted in the outer layer of the glass cracking. The process would then continue with the glass being reheated and blown into the desired shape with a smooth finish.

Crackle glass was very popular from the 1920s until the 1960s, with many factories throughout Europe and the United States producing much of the world’s crackle glass pieces. Very little glass using this method has been produced since, making authentic vintage necklaces like this highly collectable.