African Don Don Sole Beads from Mali

Image courtesy of TheBeadChest.com

Don Don Sole beads, also known as Mali Wedding beads, are vintage African trade beads from Mali. These handmade beads were produced in Europe in the early 20th century, and quickly made their way into the African trade.

Don Don Sole beads are also known to some as Mali wedding beads because they are given to brides in Mali on their wedding day. They are some of the most colorful and joyful glass beads from Africa. The glass beads come in over 20 different colors, and are shaped like light bulbs. Their design is one most often found in Czechloslovakia, but today these beads are often replicated in India and China. Authentic African Don Don Sole beads are strung on a kind of twisted cotton, and they spin around, or rotate around the thread.

These beads can run anywhere up to a few dollars a bead, especially for rare colors that are less common. Because of their old age, a strand usually runs anywhere from $70 to $120, depending on the size in shape. The most common shapes and sizes are large rounded bulbs, small rounded bulbs, flattened tear drops, and triangles. The triangle shape and small rounded bulb shape are the hardest to come by.