Beads for Collectors and Designers - RitaOkrent.com

Beads for Collectors and Designers - RitaOkrent.com Please come visit our website at www.ritaokrent.com to see the latest listings in Rita's collection! Liu, Ph.D. Rita passed away in 2005. Thank you!

Rita became interested in making jewelry in the early 1970s when she took a silversmithing class through the local community college. By the mid-1970’s, she had developed an interest in ethnic beads and artifacts and began designing necklaces. In 1977-1978, Rita and the family lived abroad as Rita’s husband, David, a professor at UCLA, was on sabbatical leave. Rita always had a good eye for intere

sting items, but on this extended 14-month trip she was able to explore and buy from dealers in the souks of Israel and Egypt, flea markets in London, Paris and Vienna and from sellers in Hong Kong, India, Taiwan and China. On each trip, she searched for ancient and antique beads and pendants, for small antiquities and for unusual collectibles. Upon returning to the U.S., Rita established her collection and designed necklaces using ancient and antique materials such as amazonite, amber, amethyst, coral, faience, glass, horn, ivory, jade, jet, shell and silver. She often combined these beads with a central pendant or several pendants, in designing ethnic, one-of-a-kind necklaces. She worked with a colleague to design her own hand-made, sterling silver hook-and-eye clasps, which we still make available in our Clasps section. She continued to develop her bead expertise and became an active member and President of the Los Angeles-area Bead Society. She held jewelry shows from her home showroom and at the Los Angeles Gift Show, as well as consigning items to local stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue. Rita’s work was featured in Ornament Magazine and she contributed to the book, “Collectible Beads” by Robert K. Rita traded with merchants from Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and other parts of Africa for more than twenty-five years, providing her with a broad collection of African Trade beads, as well as unusual African wall hangings and wood and ivory carvings and masks. Rita’s collection grew as she continued to travel and live abroad over the years, including trips to Syria, Egypt, Israel, and Morocco. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Rita’s reputation continued to grow as a designer of original necklaces and as a dealer of ethnic and antique beads and artifacts. Rita’s husband, David, maintained the website starting in 1999. The website and collection are now managed by their daughter, Jocelyne, based in San Diego County, California. The beauty of Rita’s original creations and of her rich and outstanding collection are reflected at our website, www.ritaokrent.com. Our customers, both collectors and designers, come to us from around the world. We appreciate your business. Please come shop at our Etsy store, RitaOkrentCollection and at our website, RitaOkrent.com.

I am Yuki! I am helping my human prep for next weekend’s Bead and Design Show in Escondido at the California Center for ...
06/07/2025

I am Yuki! I am helping my human prep for next weekend’s Bead and Design Show in Escondido at the California Center for the Arts - Fri-Sun June 13-15! Can’t wait to see you there!🐈‍⬛ 📿

06/04/2025

Come on out and shop with us in person! Can’t wait to see you there!❤️

Rita would seek out rare and interesting treasures for collectors, and here are just a few! DM us for details. ...
06/03/2025

Rita would seek out rare and interesting treasures for collectors, and here are just a few! DM us for details.

As Rita's daughter, I appreciate her design skills more and more as time goes on! ❤️ See you at the Escondido Bead and D...
06/02/2025

As Rita's daughter, I appreciate her design skills more and more as time goes on! ❤️ See you at the Escondido Bead and Design Show at the California Center for the Arts June 13-15!!

Inspiring original designs by Rita! Come on out and find treasures from the Collection in person at the Escondido Bead a...
06/01/2025

Inspiring original designs by Rita! Come on out and find treasures from the Collection in person at the Escondido Bead and Design Show, June 13-15! Can’t wait to see you there!❤️

Just a few of our favorite reference books! What are yours?❤
05/29/2025

Just a few of our favorite reference books! What are yours?❤

Rained on us at the Art of Adorning but our amazing customers made it a fun and memorable day! Come on out to visit our ...
05/29/2025

Rained on us at the Art of Adorning but our amazing customers made it a fun and memorable day! Come on out to visit our booth at the Escondido Bead and Design Show - June 13-15 - Escondido Center for the Arts!

Hey So Cal friends! Come on out to get beads and ethnic jewels at this Saturday’s (04/26 - 10-4) Art of Adorning at the ...
04/24/2025

Hey So Cal friends! Come on out to get beads and ethnic jewels at this Saturday’s (04/26 - 10-4) Art of Adorning at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana! Many great sellers at a fantastic museum! See you there! .

Come on out and shop in person with me and other fabulous merchants at the Art of Adorning this Saturday, April 26 at th...
04/22/2025

Come on out and shop in person with me and other fabulous merchants at the Art of Adorning this Saturday, April 26 at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana! Can’t wait to meet you there!❤️

03/27/2025

The burial chamber most likely belonged to a ruler in a line of kings once lost to history, researchers said. “It’s a new chapter in investigating this dynasty,” one noted.

03/01/2025

Come on over and shop with us at our Fifty Frenzy sale! Tomorrow March 2 , 11 am US Pacific Time at the Virtual Souk!

Fascinating and so beautiful!
01/22/2025

Fascinating and so beautiful!

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