Beads, for your edification and perhaps ID. ;)

Hi chaps

Two vintage bead strings to look at. One, I think, is perhaps dyed stone - they're green, irregular and cold to the touch. However, the colour goes all the way through and there are metallic flecks. Not that old, I think, as they're on a nylon thread.

The other is odd. It looks and behaves like amber, but I've not seen swirled butterscotch and clear. The absence of bubbles makes me think not reconstituted amber either. It fluoresces under UV, has no mould lines, warm to the touch, and is fairly light. Older thread and clasp, too.

Any thoughts, please?

 

My only thought is that I love them, especially the amber one.

 

I can't take the amber ones off, but I've done all the other amber tests - I own a fair bit of the stuff. These are just weird, though.

The green ones do rather remind me of some old Egyptian faience ones.

PS: When I say all, I do NOT mean hot needle.

 

The green ones sorta look like turquoise ?

 

They're definitely not turquoise, the structure isn't right, if you see what I mean. In places, there's no colour and that reveals a sort of stone or pottery looking finish.

 

I think the green ones are hand made beads. Probably from crushed turquoise or howlite that was dyed, then mixed with epoxy or resin. Thus the different colors and the high sheen. Also the reason they are not the same size or consistent in shape.

With the gold bead separators, I'd guess the date to 1980s or later.

The brown look interesting.

 

Bear, your pictures are wonderful.

 

Whoops, sorry, meant to reply. Thanks cluttered - the crushed stone idea makes sense - they're nicely enough done, especially as they only cost thirty cents! The brown, I'm keeping, I like them, the green will end up with a friend who wears that colour a lor.

Tyeldom, thank you - I've a Panasonic Lumix which I love. It does macro brilliantly, even in ordinary light.