A unique business found in Ghana is glass bead making. We have visited factories in Accra and in Kpong. The owners are happy to give visitors a tour to learn how the beads are made. It's a fascinating process. These pictures are a combination of photos we took months ago at TK Beads in Accra and recently at Cedi Beads in Kpong.
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| Glass of all kinds is collected and sorted into colors. | The glass is crushed manually and prepared for the molds. |
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| Since a lot of glass is clear, pigment is often added with a little water to create a variety of colorful beads. | The molds are made with kaolin, also called china clay, which is in the same family as glass. |
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| Termite hills are the source of material used to make the firing kilns, which hold up in extremely high temperatures. | The glass is melted in forms at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, then pierced while still hot with a tool that creates a hole. |
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| Old beads can be broken and remelted (bracelet). The recycled transparent and glass bottle beads are painted in detail. | Molds are in all different shapes and sizes. We have seen colorful glass pieces placed into cement pathways. |
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| The beads are washed in a basin of mud after they cool to smooth out any rough edges that may have formed. | After rinsing and inspecting, some beads are strung for purchase, but others are prepared for painting. |
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| Artists spend hours & hours each day painting beads by hand. | Meticulous and tedious handwork goes into each painted bead. |
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| They are placed back into the hot kiln after being painted. | The fun beads are then strung and readied for purchase. |
