Jewelry worn in Far Eastern cultures played a very different role than jewelry worn in Western cultures. Far Eastern jewelry was often a less prominent accessory with a functional purpose, whereas jewelry worn in most Western cultures was an adornment with a decorative purpose. Beads, particularly those of glass and semi-precious stones were rarely used in Far Eastern adornment, but were frequently manufactured for export. Jade beads were valued throughout the Far East. In fact, the character for jade and bead is the same in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Early Chinese eye beads dating from the fourth to the first centuries B.C. are among the most complex and beautiful beads ever made. The seven ancient Chinese eye beads pictured are from the "Warring States" period (481-221 B.C.) These beads are distinguished by their lead-barium content, making them very heavy and their geometric designs and "horned" eyes. The technique of layering glass to create these patterns and protruding "eyes" is China's contribution to the bead type.

Recently, new Chinese eye beads have been manufactured for export from China. Some examples of these new Chinese eye beads are pictured. These are beautifully colored beads and come in a range of sizes and shapes. Beadworks Cambridge and Beadworks Boston have new shapes and colors of these beads arriving daily.

The History of Beads (concise edition) by Lois Sher Dubin provided information for this article.