Featured Thoughts on age and origin of this large necklace with agates?

Hi everyone,

I picked up this necklace recently and I wondered what everyone thought of it regarding origin and age? I am not sure if it is silver, certainly no marks that I have found, however the stones are all semi-precious agates. I think I may have seen comment about the type of dangles previously but can't remember where they may show this to be from!

Any help you can provide would be appreciated. TYIA

 

From India. @Any Jewelry

 

Age... late 1970s to early 1990s is my guess.

 

Thanks @Ownedbybear and @evelyb30 as it is great to know it is not a new piece and its origin too! do you by any chance know if this necklace has a name at all, is it a particular type?

 

Indian boho is as close as I can get.

 

No real style name. Those are nautch dancer bells as a dangle.

 

Agree.

Agree. These were mostly made for tourist trade and for export to the Middle East and the West. In the Middle East they were sold as local souvenirs.
I saw them sold new in the 1960s and 70s.

 

Thank you everyone for your replies and it is good to know it falls into the vintage category, and interesting to know about those Middle East sellers!

Also thanks for the name of the bells @evelyb30 that is a new one for me!

 

That was Bear, not me. I wouldn't know from Nautch bells.

 

Most people outside the UK won't know the term nautch bells. It is not the traditional term for bells on jewellery, and not used by ethnic jewellery collectors.

A bit on the origin of the term: Nautch is the name of certain Indian dances performed by professional dancers.
Quite a few nautch dancers were also courtesans or prostitutes, which is how they came to play a role first in Mughal society and later in British and other European colonial life.
Nautch bells is a British term for the bells on Indian dancers' ankle bracelets, but it can also be used for bells on personal adornment in general.

Bells on jewellery is used in many cultures to dispell evil forces. They are usually not specifically associated with dance, but with protection.

 

Oops.... sorry for my mistake and thanks @Ownedbybear and @Any Jewelry for that information on the nautch bells, it's great to learn about the history behind these things!