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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Thanks, Akkie. I wondered about that, too.
They don`t seem to be as good as the Turkmen beads, which are so often of silver. Quite handsome and decorative nevertheless.
I have not seen this type in Morocco , so I agree with Akkie
Definetaly not moroccan in design, and ideed they look like turkmen beads
Thanks, Waqar. I`m quite happy with that. I only paid "beans" for them!
To the untrained eye they look genuine - just wondering what to look for (what makes them fake)? Please forgive my beginners eye :)
But until then!
My way of examining a bead such as this would be thus....
First impression..
In this case the beads are a fairly even colour and tone, there is little matter gathered in places where I would expect to see it. Ie around applied patterns and what thereis looks to be falsely applied.
Second wear..
These do not look as they would if they had experienced the rigors of life for many years. Beads rub against a wearer, they become less regular in their look. With the occasional mark or dent, and also changes in texture and shade where they rub the most.
Third Perforation...I can't actually see it on these beads , bit know that the place where a string passes through will not be smooth or eon evenly worn as it would be in an old bead.
Fourth ( and I may get shot down for this one ! ). Smell.. I always take a deep sniff of a piece, it tells me a lot. You can pick up many aromas from an old piece, but just a chemically metallic one from new unworn ones.
I actually use smell to estimate the silver content of a piece quire accurately too! But that's another story!!!
Fifth knowledge of materials available in a place at a given time in history. If the elements didn't exist in roman times and are a part of a roman jewel, it isn't genuine...as you will see in a recent discussion here regarding a rare bracelet, things get adapted through their lifetime...this is when the real fun begins!!
And as Tribal correctly states, experience of years of handling makes these judgements second nature. Apply them step by step for now and you will find and read the clues .
Do others here have their own top tips to add...
First let me say these are lovely beads and will be a wonderful addition to any necklace. Second, they are new beads, there is no wear or the usual little dents and discoloration that we see with older beads. Third, they are Afghan or Central Asian in origin -- the squiggly band of wirework around the middle is specifically Asian not North African.
I am really pleased to have provided a platform for discussion of fakes since they interest me almost as much as the real thing.
I had never thought that these beads were old since I don`t know whether the Turkmen beads are still being produced - I imagine they aren`t but wasn`t sure.
The beads are part of my stock of odd items gathered to encourage me to get creative one day!
Patti, thanks for the nice words. It was the squiggly wire work which made me think they might`ve been produced in that sort of area and I had given a thought to Afghanistan as a source. Those guys are past masters at fakes! Though they aren`t always good ones.
@Sarah, I loved your comment about smell. I thought I was the only "weirdo" (as my son calls me) constantly smelling jewelry . There is a smell to old jewelry and there is a definite smell to base metals that I recognize right away. I have not trained my smell buds to sniff out silver, but would LOVE to learn. Thank you so much everyone for this most enlightening discussion.
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