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.

I have heard that this type of "amber", created from German beads imported in the 1930s, was created from natural sources. Has anyone any information about this?Thanks to Anna of dorjedesigns.
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Comments

  • Wonderful beads, love them! Sorry, I have no info about them.

  • Thanks Akkie and Eva. I`m hoping to design a necklace using them some day.

  • wow those are beauties

  • these look like german 1930s bakelite beads which are shaped and cross drilled for use in the hair and also beaded strands  by Mauritanian ladies.

    will find a pic for you!

    S x

    http://pinterest.com/pin/147704062751485944/

  • widely used among the moors of western sahara and mauritania.

    Strung in anecklace (using two beads at atime along other smaller beads), i should find a picture of these necklaces

    But also braided in the hair

    I guess this is what is called  Phenolic amber

    I love these beads a lot

  • I love them too, Ayis, and have wanted some since the beginning of my interest in ethnic jewellery.

    Marie-Francoise Delaroziere (Les perles de Mauritanie) shows her own painted sketches of them incorporated into traditionally styled necklaces - two on each side with smaller trade beads between, one near the central pendant bead of triangular carnelian, one towards the ends.

    I would have thought of them as bakelite or phenolic resin too. But I know I have seen reference to the German beads as being of organic origin. Could be that it was wrong. Or maybe just some were.

    Great photo, Sarah. Big thanks!

  • There are many faux amber ingredients including milk, Cous Cous, horn, bone,tree resin , copal.
    However I believe the ones you show are made from thermosetting plastics closely related chemically to Bakelite..as Ayis correctly states phenolics.
    S x
  • I have quite a few of these beads and was told that they were copal ........ A natural form of resin.
    I was also told that you could tell plastic from natural resin by taking a needle near the hole and chipping away a small chunk. If it's natural, it will chip off easily. I have tried this with amber beads and it works. Now I will try it out on these beads.
    Eileen
  • Hi Eileen, there are many other tests which do not cause damage to the beads....
    Electrostatic tests.
    Hot needle inside perforation
    Salt water
    Fluorescence.
    I shall link to a good site. S x
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