Meaning of African Bead Colors – Check the Symbols Before You Wear

Color	Meaning/Symbolism	Images
Red	Evil, anger, aggression, war, blood, violence, danger, sadness, calamity, death, fire, heat
Yellow/Gold	Light, ripe, warmth, sunshine, wealth, gold, royalty, first in the rank, higher in position
Green	Growth, life, hope, fresh, fertility, young, environment, youthfulness, health, vitality, newness, safety, agriculture
Blue	Peace, love, rule of queen, early down, female tenderness, calmness, depressed, melancholy
Violet	Wealth, love, affection, romance, rich, imperial, royal, nobility, enlightenment
Orange	Warmth, energy, vibrancy, festive
Silver	Second in position
Brown	Decay, rotten, passed away, disaster, death, sadness
Black	Bad luck, evil, grief, mourning, unhappiness, death, anger, fear,sadness, disaster, belonging to history
Grey	Old age, pity, shame, degradation
White	Purity, neatness, victory, cleanliness, truth, innocence, and light

Use of Color

• Colors are used for decoration
• They draw attention. For example, violet to signify love
• To show feeling or to express mood. e.g., warmth, coldness, happiness, sadness
• To identify a group of individuals, institution, and things
• They are used to define relationship between objects
• To show emphasis