Fascinating Facts about Kiffa Beads

Kiffa beads are specific to the culture and society of south central Mauritania. It is believed that Mauritania was a part of the Ghana Empire that existed from 750 to 1240 CE and included south eastern Mauritania and some areas of Mali, whose economy rose because of the trading of gold, ivory and salt. Archaeologists could still find Kiffa beads, a type of glass beads in the sand dunes covering the ruins of Koumbi Saleh.

Kifffa beads were created as a tribute to the Almighty. People of Mauritania made them in small quantities and presented them to their loved ones. Each and every element of the bead such as a line, a dot or a curve is the craftsman’s interpretation of the universe. Emotional aspects of life were also reflected in the bead work. People did not make the beads solely for money, but they got mental peace and happiness on seeing the exquisite beauty of the Kiffa beads they made.

As the Mauritania people believe, the Kiffa beads have some kind of magical power that keeps them away from possible illness due to evil powers. They also believed that the beads have a positive influence on their emotions and keeping the bead under their tongue transfers its magical powers to them.

The most interesting thing about Kiffa beads is the manufacturing technique involved in making them. In order to make wet-core powder glass Kiffa beads, they crush the glass into a fine powder and mix it with saliva that acts as the binder. To make the core for triangular beads, they fasten two stiff grasses together. The moistened glass powder is built over the grass-made triangular structure and smoothed using razor blade. They then apply decorative patterns on them by making use of a needle. Finally, the beads are fired without the use of any moulds.

The traditional Kiffa beads look more attractive compared to the contemporary ones. They reflect a high level of craftsmanship and quality. It is very hard to find a modern day bead maker that gives the same glow to the Kiffa beads just like the traditional beads. The reason might be this — the modern day craftsmen manufacture these beads to make money, but the people of ancient Mauritania did it with real interest, as a hobby. If you are a collector of ancient beads, then you surely have to look out for the traditional Kiffa beads.

Mysterious Nature of Magnetic Beads

Use of jewelry for body adornment has been a part of our lives since ancient times. The form, style and material used in jewelry have changed greatly with time to respond to the prevalent fashion trends. Nowadays, various different materials are being used in order to make remarkable pieces of jewelry. One of the most innovative and intriguing fashion accessories is made of magnetic beads. The jewelry made from magnetic beads is called magnetic jewelry which not only adds to the beauty of the wearer but also has a soothing effect on all sorts of body pains.

Magnetic beads are very easily available in the market in various colors, shapes, designs and sizes to suit individual tastes and preferences. Although the magnetic beads had been around since ages but they have recently started gaining popularity amongst people. Magnetic beads are considered highly effective in relieving pain and are specially designed for individual body parts to help in the healing. For example, if a person has pain in the feet then a magnetic anklet could be worn while to reduce the pain in the wrists or hands bracelets could be the best choice. However, it has been noted that Out of the many kinds of pains that magnetic beads helps in reducing the most common and benefitted are the Inflammation and joint pains.

 
                        There is a scientific logic behind the working of magnetic beads in favor of the body. Magnets are known to cause better circulation of oxygen in the blood and the cells. When brought in contact with the body the magnetic beads produce a movement of electro-chemicals in the area in touch. The magnetic field then leads to cause charging of the cells which eventually relaxes the muscles and thus, helps relieve pain. Due to the magnetic beads the flow of oxygen and blood increases to a great amount in the body.

It must be kept in mind that just like other forms of treatments magnetic beads also have affect on only certain recipients. Not every individual wearer would feel the effect as the other as the intensity of the magnetic field developing due to the beads depends upon the temperature and response power of the wearer. However, these beads are sure to create a difference later if not sooner. Thus, the treatment would require a great amount of patience if the person’s magnetic field fails to support the beads initially. It might take a little longer to react than others but it certainly will.