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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Beautiful and warm it is simplicity Anjali. And so suffisticated. I love it. Looking at it first the center pieces does look like brass, so interesting to see such a special color of stone. The tube beads does look like some blue coral beads (very porus) I had once the same shape. The shape of the necklace look like the type the Omo People and Hammere people in Ethiopia and also the Sudan wear. I do think though that it has been restrung so well composed and in one word top and elegant. Gr. Ingrid
Thank you, Ingrid. I like it a lot, too. Here is a close up. Stones do appear to be porous. I know what you mean about coral. I have some sponge coral beads and they're very porous -like a sponge :>) - Largest disk is 10 mm and focal bead is only 5/8 inch. I'll ask for a picture of the bottom of that stone.
Ingrid said it very well - it is top and above all simple and very elegant. I simply love it Anjali - it is gorgeous and shows a highly skilled craftsman! With kind regards. Peter
Thank you so much, Peter. I would like to see your photos. May I send you a friend request?
With kind regards and wishes. Peter
Dear Ingrid, this piece arrived and I brought it to a gemologist. She thinks the brown beads are shell of some kind so you were right on track! They're quite light. What gives the piece weight are the metal disks. The largest of these, towards the center, are only 9mm. The focal bead is broken at the bottom. I also showed the necklace to a woman here from Ghana and she said that they make these there and in other countries in W. Africa. I followed your lead about the Omo and Hammere people and found this picture of a striking Hammere woman wearing what appears to be a similar idea except instead of a stone in the middle of the necklace, it looks like it could be the top of a salt shaker! What do you think?
Dear Anjali, very attractive necklace and lovely pictures of the Hammar women, but I am afraid that what they are wearing is a torque made of leather and aluminium.
What metal are the metal made of, please? Could the gemologists identify the focal stone?
Betty, you're right. After posting this image, I found another of the same woman and it's clearly, as you say, a leather torque with the aluminum bands. But the idea of the color and texture arrangement is similar in my eyes. Regarding the metal disks in my piece, I think they may be aluminum. I tested them with a magnet and there's no attraction there. On the other hand, this little piece has some weight so I'm stymied. The gemologist didn't know what the center stone was. I'll take a picture of it soon and post it. I thought it might even be glass, but I really don't know. I'll look forward to hearing what you think and thanks for your comment.
@ Ingrid -One more detail: Regarding the restringing - I looked again just now. I think you're right. It is strung on a wire with a crimp bead at either end. I am ignorant about techniques used in African jewelry, but would this technology be unusual?
We are used to think of aluminium as a light-weight metal, but the few aluminium cuffs and beads that I own, are actually quite heavy, so would not rule it out that the discs are made of aluminium, especially when they are not magnetic. And no, according to my humble knowledge, the Hamer people for example would most likely not use crimp beads and wire for stringing :-) Even the hook closure is not common in older pieces from that region, though hooks of that style have been in use in Ethiopia for quite a while. I am sure, Ingrid can say more about this...but I would think this might also be a designer piece, which would not make it any less attractive in my view...
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