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Ingrid, thank you for this wonderful picture showing some beads that are light inside and dark outside. I agree this illustrates the way the sun or skin exposure affects the beads. Some other beads in this picture are dark all the way through. My question would be this. Depending on the substance they are made from, are some beads dark to begin with? In other words, did the manufacturers of phenolic or plastic beads make them in different colors? I assume there were different formulas used at different times so your question as to whether they can be boiled in oil would probably be hard to answer. This is such an interesting topic. Thank you for posting it.
Toya, The way I figure it out, that the very dark ones were light(yellow) but these are beads of at least 80 yrs and older, and that the heat finally has reached all the way inside and turned them red. This based on the experience of the boiling of the yellow beads. Now the see through is a different matter, and is a mistery for me. They have kept their color, byt worn out holes.To touch them feels very rich and smooth and not dry or brittle. Perhaps the only way to find out what the basic is,it has to be taken to a lab.
Hi Eva, By now you must have read the conclusion. Except for the see through one, that is a different material, but also old, especially when you look at the large holes. The exciting enormous bead is as bug as the egg (normal size). It is the only one of that size I have, and is in my display. It feel great to hold this bead in your hand, the size,weight and a feast to look at. Actually, I love these beads and the silver Jimma beads. I love wearing and handling them. I wear them in all kind of necklaces, long, short single, three rows short, single bead on a golden chain etc. It was quite an intence session, because I do have to search for them, photograph them and than discussing and re-checking. This of course, you do know yourself as you did this yesterday just as much with the beautiful Tuareg crosses. I haven,t been reading them once again,pooped out. I love looking at your old crosses so warm and for me it holds a mystic. Tomorrow I am going to deeper into it.
Eva, look at these darker beads, the round and the large one are also clear but do have a discoloring as well. You know the large clear ones are often found on the longer worn necklaces like two pieces with one large silver ball and two smaller silver balls on a string. That means, they are exposed tp the sun but didn.t have the additional skin heat as they lay on the dress and not in the neck as with the smaller beads. Coming into this discussion it is funny how one starts to recall the fact you have notices and bringing it into a maybe prospective. What do you think?