Crafting beautiful jewelry from Matubo Rivoli glass beads has become a popular hobby. Serious hobbyists know that the best products come from high-quality materials. Rivoli beads are made with the best glass materials using a process that has withstood the test of time. Making glass beads spans over 1000 years of Bohemian tradition. It has withstood the test of time because of the popularity of the product worldwide. Czech glass beads are known for the quality of materials and craftsmanship.
Rivoli Glass Bead History
Glass bead making in Bohemia started during the time of the Roman Empire. Upon the Empire’s downfall, the jewelry industry and the demand for materials also suffered a down turn. The businesses that survived the downturn supplied materials for religious ornaments such as rosaries, intricately designed garments for religious statues, royalties and religious paraphernalia. Bohemia and Venice were competing at that time in the crystal glassware industry, which included crystal beads.
Crafty Bohemian glass makers set out to engage in the very first market research by going around Europe to ask people what they aesthetically want out of their jewelry and the materials used in crafting it. With this knowledge, the Bohemian crystal glass beads industry flourished, churning out the same quality and style as their Venetian counterparts – only the finest jewelry makers can detect the minute differences. Chokers, rings, earrings and bracelets with Rivoli crystal glass beads were worn by royalties, noblemen, aristocrats and rich merchants. The industry’s steady growth and expansion was interrupted by wars in Europe. The annexation of Bohemia into Czechoslovakia after WWII saw a decline in the crystal beads industry due to communist occupation. It was only when the communist government saw the potential for export that the industry was revived.
Today, Rivoli crystal glass beads are popular among bead crafters and jewelry makers alike. Their vivid colors and diamond cut designs inspire them in making intricate jewelry that is both fun to make and wear. Beautiful colors come to life with Rivoli. Unlike other beads, they do not have holes. They are set like diamonds with a front flat surface and a pointed back. There are many ways to set the glass crystal, as the centerpiece for a choker, bracelet or earrings, embellished or set with other crystal beads around it such as seed beads or wire wrapped. The possibilities are endless as the beauty of the Rivoli crystal glass bead shine and sparkle.
