Translucent beads are those where the light goes through them. They have more of a sparkle than opaque, which often appear matt. Translucent beads allow background colors and threads to show so when they are sewn onto fabric, the color may look different to how they look when loose depending on the color of the ground.
Below are some examples, information and price guides of translucent beaded bags including a Great Lakes bandoleer bag and a Plateau pictorial bag with horses and eagles.
A translucent red-bred brown, faintly striated,
Reference: © The Trustees of the British Museum
A GREAT LAKES BEADED BANDOLEER BAG Of black beaded stroud, the straps decorated with a polychrome flowering vine, the sides bound with red wool ribbon, the pouch decorated with a beaded floral spray bordered by translucent beads with black velvet binding, 92cm.
Sold for £ 3,120 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2006
Plateau Beaded Flat Bag, with Horses and Eagles
designed with rearing horses and spread-winged eagles in glass bead colors of translucent green, rose, amber, black and white; figures are placed against a light blue ground; green wool edging is studded with brass beads; interior lined with patterned cotton length 15.5 in. x width 13 in. early 20th century
Sold for $1,600 at Cowan’s Auctions in 2021
Drawstring bag French1690–1715
Small, round drawstring bag made of four wedge-shaped panels. Polychrome opaque and translucent glass beads strung with linen thread, held together by interlocking looping stitches (sablé). Polychrome design on white ground: piper with dancing dog, man holding basket of flowers, woman with basket picking fruit, woman sewing(?) with piper in tree; dogs, sheep and ducks in landscapes. Yellow and black beaded binding. Four beadwork tassels with green flowers on white ground. Pink silk taffeta lining.
Reference: Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Cheyenne Beaded Hide Tobacco Bag
composed of finely tanned hide, thread and sinew sewn in opaque and translucent glass beadwork, the lower panel with pairs of stepped diamonds, surmounted by spot-stitched feather motifs, repeated on the reverse, the opening trimmed with a series of triangular tabs edged in white beads.
Sold for 5,938 USD at Sotheby’s in 2013
NATIVE AMERICAN BEADED BAG – Chippewa Beaded Bandolier Bag with front slit, completely covered in vivid parti-colored beadwork of flowers, translucent background on 5 1/4″ wide strap, white background on 15″ x 11 1/4″ bag, loom woven geometric pendant tabs have curly red Germantown yarn fringe, starry night pattern black cotton calico lining, blue wool edge binding. Circa 1910-1920, never worn.
Sold for $700 at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in 2015
