Turquoise, Red and Gold Loomed Bead Bracelet with Wood Ring Closure

• Hand-loomed band
• Striped bead pattern
• Double tab closure
• Adjustable fit

Because each band is hand-loomed, bead placement, color balance and cord tension vary slightly from one piece to the next.

The band is loomed row by row on waxed cord, with each row of glass beads packed tight against the last to keep the vertical stripes crisp. The palette — turquoise, red and gold-amber — sits close to the blue, red and yellow of Colombia's flag.

The closure is a second, smaller composition: two turned wooden rings bound together with wrapped cord, echoing the striped band in miniature. Combining a loomed textile with a carved wood element is a common approach in Colombian bead workshops, where several small techniques often meet in one piece.

This bracelet was made through a fair-trade program that trains rural Colombian women in beadweaving as a paid, at-home trade. A single band can take a trained maker a good part of a day to finish.

• Technique: Hand-loomed glass beadwork

Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth and store flat, away from moisture and direct sun, to protect the beadwork and cord.