Featured Trade Bead Necklace?

Hello,

This is such a pretty beaded necklace. It appears very old, but perhaps it's a tourist piece sold in the 60's or 70s? I don't know, but if there are any trade bead experts out there, I'd like to know. There are 3 nice white heart beads - cornaline d'aleppo - and one white bead. The rope it's beaded on is old and starting to fray.
It's about 26" long, with no clasp. Thanks for any thoughts.

 

looks african to me......and looks like someone ran out of butterscotch seed beads...

 

Definitely African, just don't ask me from where. I'd guess East African from the color choices, but beyond that...no clue.

 

West Africa. I am no trade bead expert, but know a little bit about them.
Those cornaline d'Aleppo beads are wonderful antique beads, they are real, not replicas. Made in Venice between 1805 and early 20th century, for trade to North America and West Africa.
To people in former French West Africa they looked like the Arab red carnelian trade beads, hence the name cornaline d'Aleppo, or Aleppo carnelian. They were a cheaper alternative to carnelian beads. Now the antique ones are quite valuable.

The original Arab red carnelian trade beads didn't come from Aleppo, Syria, but from Yemen. They are still highly prized all over the Arab world.
It is believed the signet ring of the prophet Muhammad was set with an engraved Yemeni red carnelian, a 'Kabbadi Aqeeq'. Which is why many Muslim men wear aqeeq rings set with big carnelians, though not always the rare Yemeni reds.

 

Thank you. If I were to list it on Ebay, what would be a reasonable price? I can't seem to find anything similar.



And you have answered a question I always had about a pendant I bought in Turkey a long time ago. It is an etched carnelian stone. It's probably a Muslim prayer. Here's a picture.

 

Maybe you can find something on this site:
https://beadparadise.com/collections/glass/african

That is gorgeous, I always love those. I don't read Arabic, but the top line looks like the Shahada to my inexpert eyes, the others are probably also Koranic. The Shahada is the Islamic creed.

 

NewEngland, I love your avatar picture.

 

Thanks. Those were the good old days. My father was a policeman and we were so proud of him.

 

Wonderful! And so you should be.

 

I just wanted to say welcome and it's a beautiful necklace!

At various times I've researched individual beads and bead making, I have at least one book on beads which I did browse through which really didn't help. I think I have other books around that have bead info and I'll see if they help at all but I don't have much confidence in my own ability to figure it out.

I wonder if @Taupou can help.

 

Thank you, say_it_slowly. Antique trade beads are fascinating. I am enjoying the online research. I've seen photos of Royal Naga beaded necklaces and some of them have a section of random colored beads similar to this one. But i haven't seen any with the cornaline d'Aleppo beads. It's an ongoing learning process.