Natural Materials
BLACK CORAL IS
We take the black coral from a sea bush. It is called “Yusuri” and it comes from the Arabic word “yuser”, meaning “black coral” . The black coral of the Mediterranean is the best quality of all on the planet. It is considered one of the most classical materials for the creation of strings of beads. It is not concrete because, each time, it creates new bark over the previous older one.
RED CORAL
The red coral comes from South America. The original material comes from a coral bush. We make the beads through processing.
BLUE CORAL
The blue coral comes from South America. The original material comes from a coral bush. We make the beads through processing.
SHELL
This comes from the inner side of the shells and it actually is their inside.
OBSIDIAN
Obsidian is a volcanic crystal which comes from the volcanic lava. A material well-known in Ancient Greece (mirrors, surgery tools). We find it in black, brown, grey.
ALABASTER
Alabaster is a kind of marble, of white colours.
YAK HORN
The yak horn comes from the horn of an animal living in Indιa and Tibet.
WATER BUFFALO HORN
This material comes from the horn of an animal living in South and Southeast Asia, China. Europe, Australia, North and South America and in some African countries.
WOOD OR TREE FRUITS
Wood is really a very nice, warm material. In our country, in places where people had no access to materials living away from the cities, they used their very own hands to create their companion, their “komboloi”, bead by bead.
OLIVE WOOD
it comes from olive branches smoothened by hand with hand-made grindery so that the knots are all removed.
OLIVE SEED
very rare and extremely difficult to be made
KESME
it comes from the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Turkey and Peloponnese. It is found 1500 metres above sea level and it is a beautiful, simple string of beads not often demonstrated.
PALISSENGUE
it is the wood of an African tree which looks like iron. It is heavy and it sinks once it is put in the water. Its weigh comes from the resin contained in its pores. This is the reason why it is used for the construction of ships since it prevents the water from entering the vessel.
EBONY
it is a bush found at the rivers of Africa and its wood is used for the making of piano keys, statues, musical instruments, furniture etc.
SANDAL WOOD
it is found in India, Africa and Egypt. It gives out a bitter but beautiful scent. It is deeply loved by the Indian people who use it in all the expressions of their lives and as material for their prayer books.
KOOK
this is wood coming from a kind of coconut, more often found in Brazil and more rarely in India.
JUNIPER SEED (FRUIT)
it is the fruit-seed of a tree called “the-string-of-beads-tree”. It belongs to the Pine Tree family and it is found in the Eastern mountainous Turkey, Peloponnese, Syria and all the way to Tunish. To be more specific, it is the stone of a fruit which looks like a plum. This tree bears fruit every two years. The collection of these fruits is very difficult, painful and dangerous because the fruit is sharply pointed at the sides and can injure. From that moment on, there is a whole process of hand work in order to be smoothened and turn into beads with which the string is created. Many times, during the smoothening process (by sandblast), we can reinforce its scent.