The World's Biggest Bead?
By Peter Francis, Jr.

The beadmaker's name is Daniel Silverberg. He doesn't make beads commercially; he does it because he loves the work.

This bead is made of fossil-bearing limestone. It is 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter and averages 9 inches (23 cm) in width.

Atop the bead is a piece of carved California jade. He couldn't find the picture of Clark the cat resting in the hole

Some other beads in Dan's yard.

Yes, I agree beads are usually (but not always) worn, but he is the beadmaker, so who can argue with him?

In Dan's words: "There is something elusive and fundamental about beads and bead making that can't be more than provisionally defined. I am, however, always interested in other perspectives and experiences."

By the way, Dan says he finds it curious that people ask if the big bead above is carved all the way around. It is

We at The Bead Bugle are honored to be able to reprint several of Peter Francis’ articles that originally appearer in his publications and website. Everyone in the Bead Industry will miss Peter and his contributions.


"When a wise man dies, a library burns to the ground." This African proverb reflects the way many of us felt, on hearing the shocking news of the premature passing of Peter Francis Jr. Peter was our encyclopedia. Whenever we had a question about bead history or technology, or wanted to learn more about a bead we couldn't identify, we could call on Pete to either give us the answer, or point us in the right direction. And always with a spirit of sharing; never making us feel ignorant or insignificant. For this, we will miss him. Much of Peter's work lives on, through his many books and articles, both for the scholarly and the more popular press. But much more may be lost. Pete had a wonderful ability to combine his prodigious knowledge with keen intelligence, to make connections between one seemingly unrelated piece of information and another, and to come up with a unique insight which could be the beginning of a new story or theory. We will certainly miss his enthusiasm for learning, and his courage to pursue his work, even at peril to his own health.

Part of Eulogy for Peter Francis Jr.
Delivered at the Memorial Service January 21, 2003 by James Lankton

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