N1379

The smaller black and white beads in this 19″ necklace are old, old trade beads which originated in Venice for the African trade and have been called, somewhat fondly, skunk beads for probably over a hundred years. You’ll notice that each one has a few dots of red hand applied to the black glass. They are flanked by Mountain Coral glass beads from Nepal, large batik bone beads from Africa and sterling silver bead cones. The clear beads that finish this necklace are hand cut crystal with inclusions, a bit cloudy and interesting. The clasp for this necklace is sterling silver.