Beadwork Bolo Ties

Each bolo ties is a unique piece of handmade art with quality materials. Cabochons (cabs) can be either natural gemstones or man-made art glass. The cabs are secured by beaded bezels and the designs are created with bead embroidery. Each piece of jewelry containing a cab is back with high quality ultra suede for a beautiful finish and uses the nices quality bolo back for less wear on the cords.

The following is excerpted from an article in the New York Times by Catherine Robbins:

Once a curiosity even among Westerners, the bolo tie has moved beyond the land of barbed-wire fences and spread around the nation and the world. At least two states - New Mexico and Arizona - have made the bolo tie their official neckwear. Bolos adorn New Yorkers, Berliners and models in fashion magazines.

A bolo tie is, simply, a string tie held in place by an ornament that is called a bolo (some people insist that bola is the correct term, but bolo is commonly used). The two ends of the string are tipped in silver or other material; in some cases, small pendants hang from the tips. Until recently, the bolo was usually made by Indian jewelers of silver or of turquoise and other stones in typical Navajo, Zuni, Pueblo and Hopi styles.

Today, however, bolos are made of nearly any material, including porcelain, paper, antique beads or diamonds. And the string might be braided leather or brightly colored Mylar.

The affection that Westerners feel for the bolo tie was clear in legislation passed earlier this year in New Mexico that designated the bolo as the state's official neckwear - for both men and women. (Arizona made the bolo tie its official neckwear in 1971.) After dismissing conventional ties as awkward and dull for ''gentlemen of fashion,'' the New Mexico legislature decreed that the bolo tie was welcome at all state occasions. The bill praised the bolo as ''an excellent decorative tie allowing individual eccentricity and individual flair while providing for all a dash of elegance.''

The bolo tie is an accident that happened to an Arizona silversmith in the late 1940's. The silversmith, Victor E. Cedarstaff, and some friends were chasing wild horses in the Arizona mountains when his silver-edged hatband slipped away as his hat flew off. Mr. Cedarstaff retrieved both and hurriedly slipped the band over his neck. ''Nice tie you've got there, Vic,'' one of the other riders said.

Inspired by the comment, Mr. Cedarstaff quickly started producing his first braided leather ties, tipped with silver and fastened with a silver and turquoise slide. He patented his invention in 1959 and named it a bola tie, after the boleadoras, a lariat of three cords with balls at their ends that Argentine cowboys use to catch cattle by the legs.

Whatever its origins, the bolo tie is a Western fashion staple, hailed for its comfort and versatility. Employing several types of clasps, the bolo tie can be worn with a closed or loosened collar. In New Mexico, the making, buying, selling and wearing of bolo ties is a popular and a high art. Rae Kozai, whose contemporary bolos sell at an Albuquerque art gallery, says she encourages visitors to look into the imported fake turquoise and pot metal bolos in souvenier shops. Conversely, at a recent black-tie ball for Albuquerque architects, the ties were bolos.

Please email for price and availabilty of bolo ties pictured below.

	Blue genuine turquoise with turquoise beaded 42 inch black leather cord, bolo approximately 3 inches high.
	Double cab Brachiated jasper, red tiger-eye, with beaded 48 inch tan leather cord, bolo approximately 4 ½ inches high.
	Large lace agate cab with root beer colored beadwork on 48 inch tan leather cord with sterling silver tips, bolo approximately 4 inches high.
	Fancy agate cab with jasper beads on a 36 inch black leather cord with jasper beaded tips, bolo approximately 3 inches high.
	Hot pink /red paua shell cab with hematite beads on a 36 inch black leather cord with hematite beaded tips, bolo approximately 2 ¾ inches high.
	Amazonite cab on a 40 inch black leather cord with sterling silver tips and amazonite beads, bolo approximately 3 ½ inches high.
	Fancy agate cab with gray beadwork on a 44 inch black leather cord with sterling silver tips, bolo approximately 3 ½ inches high.
	Fancy agate with jasper beads on a 44 inch black leather cord with sterling silver tips and jasper beads, bolo approximately 3 inches high.
	Blue lab created lapis colored cab with glass druk beads on a 36 inch black leather cord with beaded tips, bolo approximately 2 ¾ inches high.
	White fiber optic cab with glass druk beads on a 36 inch black leather cord with beaded tips, bolo approximately 3 inches high.
	Graphic jasper with branched coral style fringe on a 36 inch tan leather cord with beaded tips, approximately 3 ¼ inches high.
	Purple stone with two tones of purple beads on a 40 inch black leather cord with sterling silver tips, bolo approximately 2 ¼ inches high.
	Brachiated jasper cab with jasper beads and brick stitch points on a 38 inch black leather cord with sterling silver tips.
	Banded onyx cab on a 36 inch black leather cord with beaded tips, bolo approximately 2 ¾ inches high.
	Gold sheen obsidian cab with windowed bezel on 48 inch black comfort back leather cord with beaded tips, bolo approximately 3 ¼ inches high.
	Fancy lace agate cab with carnelian beads on a 42 inch tan leather cord with sterling silver tips and carnelian beads.
	Silver Peace Dollar domed coin with genuine turquoise and branch coral on a 48 inch black comfort back leather cord with sterling silver tips and turquoise nuggets, bolo approximately 3 ½ inches high.