Antique Tibetan Necklace

This is a unique necklace made up of (what is very unusual for us) an unknown bead.

We know that the beads are made of natural stone. They were sourced by Kashgar founder Bernard Heaphy on one of his first ever trips to Tibet in the 1980's. We suspected that they were cut from turquoise, but their high gloss, extreme hardness and very fine texture indicates that cannot be the case. For a while I suspected that they were made of ceramic. But when working with the beads to grind down the unevenly worn ends for stringing, I determined that they are definitely cut from natural stone.

The very extensive wear at the ends of many of the beads coupled with enlarged uneven bead holes suggest an age in excess of two hundred years. They are certainly one of the oldest beads we have ever collected.

Ranging in colour from pale green to a deeper blue-green, we have highlighted the beauty of these stones with sterling silver spacer beads and finished the necklace with a generous sterling silver hook clasp.

This is a unisex necklace and will look equally striking on a man or woman.

Unique necklace made up of very old natural blue green stone beads. Sterling silver spacer beads and hook clasp. This is a unisex necklace.

Measurements: Length 48 cm