Featured Prayer Beads? Amber?

Hi all, I found these in a box of stuff I'm going through. I thought maybe amber on the gold colour ones, tested it for static and no go. Put it under a blacklight with the other one and a couple of known amber pieces to compare. I'm still thinking no to amber, what do you think? Maybe some sort of plastic for the two of them? They don't test for bakelite. The both have a couple of beads with inclusions/marks on them. New off the boat?
Are these considered prayer beads? Is there supposed to be a certain number of beads on a string?
any information appreciated
thanks for looking



Prayer beads and amber pieces in natural light

No light



under a blacklight

 

The bug and the odd shaped beads are amber. The prayer beads might well be bakelite. They often were.

 

thanks evelyb30 I should have mentioned they don't test for bakelite, just changed my post.

 

Can't help cxgirl, they remind me of caramel candies. I think I have a sweet tooth.
Love your Snoopy avi.

 

I'm with you pearls, they do look like caramels I have a sweet tooth too!

 

A bit late to the party.
The beads are komboloi or worry beads, rather than prayer beads. There are too few beads for any type of rosary. The beads could be faturan.

The amber bug is Soviet Art Deco, which continued to be made well into the 40s. They also made spiders, and sailboats with beautifully bellowing amber sails. The amber is gorgeous Baltic egg yolk to caramel amber.
I don't really see what kind of bug it is, could it be missing something?

 

Wow, sorry AJ, I didn't see your reply - thank-you I wondered about the number of beads, wasn't sure if there had to be a certain number or not. Worry beads, I will check them out.
I wondered about faturan, I just don't know. I don't think I have ever held or seen faturan before, so I wouldn't know it if I had it. I've looked on-line about it but it is clear as mud to me
The bug I've shown before, it is missing the pin. I was using that and the necklace to compare under a blacklight, I thought it would help me figure the beads out.

 

That's ok, it has been a while since you started the thread.

Join the club.
Faturan is mainly a myth. If an amber lookalike originates from the eastern Mediterranean, it is often called faturan, right or wrong.
Real faturan is said to contain frankincense and should smell that way when warm. (In plastic bag in hot water.)
I don't really know why there is a faturan hype, but there is.