When it comes to uniqueness and charm you can’t compete with handcrafted Indonesian Beads. The artistry and a creativity put into the fabrication of Indonesian beads is truly inspiring! Here at The Bead Chest we offer a vast array of Indonesian beads great for any home decor or jewelry design project. From our intricately crafted Indonesian Glass Beads to our insanely gorgeous wooden Indonesian Beads you’re going to be in love with our selection of Indonesian bead strands. 

The tradition of jewelry making and hand crafted artistry in Indonesia dates all the back 1.5 million to 35,000 years ago! Crafted tools left behind by the Homo Erectus species have been found at various archaeological dig sites all across Indonesia. Because of the many outside influences over Indonesia throughout history Indonesian art and jewelry are very a diverse and complex. Pottery and jewelry design was initially developed in Indonesia, as early as, 400 BCE. These artisan creations were usually adorned with interesting geometric patterns and were often used as burial gifts to the dead. During the 7th century the kingdom of Srivijaya flourished. Srivijaya was known for its powerful navy, as well as, its many hand crafted trade beads and jewelry designs. During this time trade routes were expanded and the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism started to be incorporated into Indonesian culture. Many beautiful prayer beads and mala beads were crafted during this time by mixing in Buddhist and Hindu cultural ideas and designs into the bead strands. During the 1500’s contact between European settlers and Indonesian people was established thus increasing the influences of Indonesian jewelry designs further across the world due to larger trade routes. In the modern day Indonesian Java Glass beads are some of the most popular jewelry items exported from Indonesia!

So please take your time browsing out curated section of Indonesian beads and jewelry. With such a diverse and rich history each bead strand of Indonesian beads tells its own unique and special story! We can’t wait to see how you use our Indonesian beads in your custom creations!