A new book on costume jewelry tells the story of Czech seed beads

Costume jewelry from Jablonec is still one of the Czech products which has made an excellent name for us abroad.

The township of Zásada, located near Železný Brod in Northern Bohemia, has been one of the centres of its production for several centuries and it is currently home to the world’s biggest factory for the production of glass seed beads. And it is precisely this place, this factory and this type of goods which is the subject of the latest book by Preciosa Ornela and Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou.

The publication “Zásadský ráj – the story of Czech seed beads” contains 245 pages with a substantial pictorial supplement and it is available in Czech and English. Hundreds of color photographs of the products from Zásada dating from the 17th century to the present from the collections of the Museum, Preciosa Ornela and a number of private individuals supplement the numerous black and white period photographs which give some idea of why Zásada was given the nickname “Little Paris” between the world wars.

The book’s main authors are Petr Nový, Eva Krupková and Kristýna Fendrichová. In addition to the information contained in the highly readable texts on the history and present of the Zásada glass industry, it also includes unique reminiscences of contemporary witnesses and a pictorial dictionary of the seed beads in the PRECIOSA Traditional Czech Beads™ product range.

You can buy the book at our Beadshop in Zásada or in the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou.

ZÁSADSKÝ RÁJ

the story of Czech seed beads

Hundreds of color photographs of the products from Zásada
dating from the 17th century to the present

NEW BOOK

Sales Sample Case (1920 - 1930)	Handbag made from wooden beads (1949 - 1950)	Christmas tree ornaments (after 1930)