Anyone know what the heck this thing with amber beads is?

I went to see a woman who knows I restring beads, she thought I could use this. I think the beads are amber, I can see a few things embedded in some of the beads but they don't look like modern plastic with amber flakes. The surface of the beads is crackled. Tooth tap says not glass.

Anyway, I like the beads no matter what they are but I don't want to cut this apart until I know what it is. The knotting is in very good condition and nicely done, I hate to cut apart something like this until I know what it is and how old it is. I think the balls under the tassel ends are wood, they are hard.

Any idea if the beads are amber? I don't want to test them unless I cut this apart and I don't want to do that without finding out what it is.

So, what the heck is this thing, it's 6' without the tassels, 8' with them (each being 12"). I tried Googling "amber beads tassels" and got worry beads, necklaces and bracelets.

I posted the question to 2 of the ebay boards and got these suggestions:
- a belt (wraps around my not-so-slim waist twice)
- part of a Chinese wedding headdress (the knots do look like Chinese knots)
- a Sautoir necklace (3 times around my neck and the tassels hang down to my waist)
- Tibetan Knot Long Necklace - Dpal Be'u
- I was wondering if it might be some kind of tie back for drapery

Has anyone here seen this before? Thanks so much for looking

 

Love it as is!!

 

1920s flapper necklace
Worn like this

 

Beads may be reconstituted amber

 

That knot and those tassels ...look Asian.

 

So they do.

 

Cluttered, to wear it like a 1920s flapper necklace it would go around 3 or more times, plus the tassels are a lot bigger than the ones in your photo. This is why I am thinking maybe a tie back instead of a necklace? When I have a break from our crazy "summer on Cape Cod schedule," I will wrap it around and post a photo, I think seeing the scale would help

I do not think the beads are reconstituted amber, I think natural amber based on the things I am seeing inside the beads. The cracked surface makes it hard to get a good photo

The knots absolutely look Chinese based on what I am seeing on the internet.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts on this "what's it".

 

Nice color and nice necklace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hope this doesn't get posted twice....maybe I just didn't hit "reply"!!
Love the color, love the necklace!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Isn't one of the tests for amber where you rub it briskly and then see if it attracts bits of paper?

 

Geez.....I think I'm made of amber /..............

 

An all purpose Amber decor. Good for mini stages, curtains, and yes, this alleged flapper. It's amber, just pick a use and you look normal.

 

Reminds me of the long beaded and tasseled 'cord girdles' from the 1920s, they were tied low on the waist with long tails...

~Cheryl

 

I have never trusted that test because I always thought if you rub pretty much anything briskly you create static electricity and that will attract anything like bits of paper. But maybe I'm wrong?

 

I agree that this can be an 'iffy' test as I once charged up a piece of amber ... followed by a plastic comb ... and then a plastic tube of lipstick ... and all three moved the tissue paper equally.

Do you have a UV light? Amber will show a hazy glow on its surface when placed under a 'black light'.

Forgot to add that in your close-up shot, it does look like old amber to me with those crackles on the surface.

 

That's butterscotch amber. Which makes it of appreciable value. Totally agree it looks Asian: there's a belt style the name of which has left my head.

The UV test is an excellent one for amber.