Beads

Ghanaian beads are made out of recycled glass bottles or scrap glass. And they can be or translucent or opaque and dyed with some artificial colors. Some multicoloured beads are made out of imported beads. They are all fired in a kiln, heated up with firewood. Once cooled down, they are washed and polished by hand with sand and water. They can then eventually be hand-painted with some specific design.

Video showing the process:
Hand making African (Ghana) trade beads
by Ghana Mission Fund, 2017 (5 min. 04 sec.)
https://youtu.be/k44OtB8SA1M

Where to shop beads in Accra:

Sun Trade Beads - Kati Torda's Bead Collection, shop and beading workshops
http://www.suntradebeads.com/
New Makola Market, local market of Agbogbloshie with many bead stalls and all the material needed for jewellery making
https://goo.gl/maps/V34f5cGsGek
Tet Glass Beads Industry, bead factory and showroom
https://goo.gl/maps/HzAa5w2AxLn
TK Beads, bead factory and showroom
https://goo.gl/maps/69rq6zEditv

Outside of Accra:

Koforidua, market on Thursday
https://goo.gl/maps/iteJDU39o8D2
In Krobo Odumasi
Agomanya, market on Wednesday and Saturday
https://goo.gl/maps/NpEQRYKLcJ92
Cedi Beads, bead factory and showroom
https://goo.gl/maps/p5BBFLmc82T2

Some videos:

Enter West Africa Part 3: A Colorful Beaded History
by Abi Ishola, Enter West Africa, 2010 (3 min. 37 sec.)
https://youtu.be/EnmUEonIAxs

EnjoyTV S02E07: Sun Trade Beads & the Tet Beadmaking
by Enjoy Accra, 2016 (8 min. 30 sec.)
https://youtu.be/qBVKTXOElm4

To go further:

The Ghana Bead Society

First published in April 2019