Chunky Vintage Persian Blue Faience Donkey Bead and Gold Bracelet
Donkey Bead Statement Bracelet:
Vivid and earthy, this chunky double-strand bracelet is a unique fusion of both modern and rustic elements and is a great anytime, everyday, all year round bracelet. This great designer bracelet is sure to become a favorite! The bright and chunky blue mixed with the various metals makes for a simple and bold statement piece of jewelry.
The blue beads are called donkey beads and are made by residents in rural areas of many Middle Eastern countries as good luck charms for their donkeys. These beads are also displayed in the windshields of trucks and cars in urban areas as a good luck talisman against the Evil Eye. The evil eye is the name for a sickness or misfortune transmitted, usually without intention, by someone who is envious, jealous, or covetous. The evil eye belief is that a person can harm you, your children, your house, your health, etc. by looking at you with envy or praising you. The evil eye can be done out of love and unintentionally so it does not always have "evil" intentions attached to it. The cultures that believe in this superstition all blame the eye as the source of this kind of "evil." Most researchers in this field believe that the eye was chosen because of its intrusive nature. It is said to be the windows to the soul so not only is the act of seeing an intrusion by itself but also the eye itself becomes a way to look into a person.
These beads are made of faience which is basically the first manmade glass-like substance that originated in Egypt and spread throughout the Middle East. Donkey beads historically were manufactured in Qom, Iran where local quartz stones were ground into a powdery substance and mixed with clay and frit and when soda and copper were used as dyes, the bright blue hue was the result of the firing.
