A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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Hello Katie, Welcome to the site. This looks like a very impressive piece with some seriously skilled beading. I think it must be a necklace. My guess would be that it comes from Ladakh and was made relatively recently. But others may have different opinions to offer.
This is from Sikkim, without any doubt. In recent decades several of these Ladakh-type pieces have been made there: they are however stylistically different, use more glass, and are - or certainly always should be! - markedly cheaper. Australia at one stage was the recipient of a large inflow of these pieces, but that tide fortunately appears to have come to an end. They are often sold as coming from Ladakh, but the differences are unmistakable. Still, there is nothing "wrong" with them so long as they are cheap enough and are understood not to be in any sense "antique". As you say, Thelma, they are skilfully made. My main objection is to their being made so as to look "Ladakhi", and often described as such. As well, often the back is artificially blackened, as is the space between beads.