Photos

Comments

• 

  Stefany Tomalin July 5, 2011 at 2:06pm

  wonderful arrangement-

  can you please describe how the cord is threaded through the beads -to put the necklace on and off, and to fasten it? does it go all the way through?
• 

  Marie-Ange July 5, 2011 at 2:12pm

   

  Hi, the beads are strung on thick plastic wire and the cord is put on the end of the necklace, it has no clasp just goes over the head.
• 

  Joost Daalder July 6, 2011 at 5:56am

  For what is is - and that is not to be at all condescending about it - this is a very pleasing and honest piece. Having seen all of your first postings now, I like EVERY piece you post in some way or other. They ALL to my mind show good, and consistently good, TASTE. The first and foremost requirement, in my book, and also the last ...
• 

  Eva Baby July 9, 2011 at 2:04pm

  I am not an expert on amber and I have no idea of its price, but it looks absolutely gorgeous to me!
• 

  Marie-Ange July 9, 2011 at 2:23pm

  Hi Eva, these beads are not even fosil amber but resin or whatever they make it from, I payed a very very high price for this piece but I fell in love with it right away!!  It was my birthday present when I became 50...therefor not for sale.
• 

  Joost Daalder July 9, 2011 at 3:10pm

  Hi Marie-Ange, - I think these are likely to be copal resin rather than plastic, and they are well-worn. You should not feel that you haven't bought a good piece, for it is very attractive. My impression is that the two silver beads at the back are more recent than the remainder of the necklace. But it is well-composed in the "native" manner, and the copal beads (if that is what they are) show very good long-standing use with a good "warm" patina.
• 

  SARAH CORBETT July 9, 2011 at 3:24pm

  Hi all,

  I am familiar with the production of all of the styles of bead here, and know them all to be recent production. .........the implied patina between the beads is painted on with a thin varnish which is mixed with dust etc.

  The 4 silver beads at the sides are produced just outside Tarroudant the bicones at the back are produced in Marrakech.

  I have pics of both as single beads.

  Warm wishes

  Sarah
• 

  Joost Daalder July 9, 2011 at 11:34pm

  Hi Sarah, - Now that I look at the black between the beads I can at once see what you mean! You need to have your eyes opened to that, and then you immediately look at the whole thing differently. With the "round" silver beads I had a degree of doubt, but didn't think one could be sure and wasn't concerned either. The two at the back - the bicones - are obvious. But, I must admit, I misread the others (the yellow ones) entirely, since it just did not occur to me that they might be faked (here that word is not too strong to use!). But once you do know, you CAN tell: the black is TOO HEAVY, AND IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE AREA WHERE IT WOULD BE CONFINED AS A RESULT OF NATURAL PROCESS. Well ... it still looks attractive as a fairly successful reproduction (even if hardly honest, I imagine) of the real thing, and remains very wearable. As I said before - it looks attractive. However, It seems it was unduly expensive, and presumably sold under false pretenses. The SHAPE of the beads is particularly well done, I think - but that black build up of "goo" in-between is not, once you have your attention drawn to it. It sounds as though Marie-Ange is herself very aware that she paid a lot and she in any case does not see the yellow beads as "even fossil amber but resin or whatever they make it from", so hopefully she is not unduly disappointed. And I can understand why she liked what she saw. If one is prepared to live with an "antiqued" piece, then nothing has actually changed. But I must admit that I was quite definitely fooled, and this just shows how careful you'd have to be buying something like this if you aim for something genuine ... (Truus and I have, as it happens, not looked with careful attention at this kind of necklace for at least 25 years, nor are we potential purchasers, but I am glad about that.) I certainly "jumped into" this one far too confidently. But that is how we keep learning! And that was a highly informative post, Sarah.
• 

  Joost Daalder July 10, 2011 at 12:01am

  I exaggerated and miscalculated when I spoke of 25 years - it seems that long ago, but wasn't. I think we last took a serious personal interest in this sort of necklace in the early 90s. I am not suggesting that everything was "pure" in those days either! But I feel relieved we are not on the lookout for such a necklace these days. I also add that, frankly, I would probably not buy it in Morocco anyway. I share Michael Backman's deep distrust as to the nature of professedly antique pieces coming from "the country of origin" at present, with regard to Asia and North Africa, and like him I would much rather buy pieces - if at all possible - that have been in the western world for many decades.
• 

  Marie-Ange July 10, 2011 at 10:28am

  Thank you very much for putting down my necklace like this, I bought it for what it is as I still love it, nobody tried to sell it to me as beeing fosil amber and so there is no need to make it look like a fake and cheap immitation!