Faience beads are highly fired, glazed ceramic, which were known for its beautiful and lavish colours. They were formed from silica (sand or crushed quarts) alongside small amounts of sodium and calcium. Colouring agents, such as copper or cobalt, could then be added to achieve the rich colour tones adored by the ancients. During the Predynastic period only green and blue faience occurred, however from the Old Kingdom and onwards alternative colours such as black, yellow and red were added to the palette. The colours had different symbolisms for example, blue was thought to reflect fertility and life.
To find out more about the use of faience in Ancient Egyptian culture please see our other relevant blog post: What is Egyptian Faience?