Beads may be the oldest art form in existence.

The materials used to create the beads had much to do with the part of the world the beads came from.

Everything from plant seeds and bones to various stones was used early on. Plant material, readily available was the most primitive form of bead crafting. In contrast, the use of gems, semi-precious stones, and bone required more work to acquire the materials and certain tools and skills to fashion beads from these materials.