4:00 PM A Gem for the Whole World – Guided Tours with Petr Nový

The world’s largest manufacturer of glass beads is PRECIOSA ORNELA, a joint-stock company with factories in Desná and Zásada. It produces a staggering 3.5 million kilograms of them annually. If we were to string them all together, we could wrap our planet several times over with a colorful ring. Nowhere else but at PRECIOSA ORNELA can they produce so many shapes, colors, sizes, and surface finishes that can be combined with one another—more than 255,000!

In Europe, seed beads are primarily a means of self-expression in hobby items and have also become popular with fashion designers. In the eastern part of the continent, rooms are adorned with embroidered seed bead pictures. In America, they are also used to create traditional ornaments or souvenirs of indigenous cultures, and of course, they are a must-have at any carnival. What would Africa be without beaded ornaments, and what souvenirs would pilgrims to Islam’s holy sites buy? Beads are also popular in Asia, where they are used to decorate clothing, jewelry, and interiors. Isn’t Turkey the kingdom of embroidery—ornaments for a thousand and one nights—and India a land literally studded with beads?

All paths of glass bead lovers lead to Crystal Valley. Please accept our invitation to a small showcase of what is created from them in various corners of the world. Welcome to the global empire ruled by Queen Bead.

(Petr Nový, Museum of Glass and Costume Jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou)

Exhibition Hours

August 25 – September 28, 2026, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (Tue–Sat)

/Closed Sundays and Mondays/

Opening Reception August 24, 2026, 5:00 PM

Guided tours of the exhibition with Petr Nový

August 28, 2026, 4:00–6:00 PM

Special thanks to

Policie ČR / Police of the Czech Republic