Photos

Comments

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  Eva Baby August 10, 2013 at 4:29pm

  Beauties!
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  Natalie Opie September 1, 2013 at 2:41am

  I bought some more of these beads online (from a different seller) and all eight beads have a hallmark. They don't look like high grade silver, so I'm wondering if the 'hallmarks' are makers marks, or silver marks. Could they be copies if they're not silver? The seller said she bought them from Yemen about 25 years ago and I paid (at auction) about $10 for each bead (bargain, right?!).
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  Patricia Deany September 1, 2013 at 6:41am

  They are maker's marks, I believe, and that was a bargain.  They wouldn't be made of high silver. They probably range between 50-75 dollars apiece right now.Here is a Yemeni Jewish bride wearing them.
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  ann September 1, 2013 at 7:47am

  Natalie - an absolute bargain!  Patti is right at the correct price for them and with the maker's mark, even more.   Lucky you.   The larger one at the back has an oval design on them, that's a seed (wheat) mark for fertility of the land.  But the ones with the granulation are considered the best of all.

   
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  ingrid Langerak September 11, 2013 at 9:22pm

  Beautiful and such a top condition. Often beads like these have worn  wholes and can be troublesome to be re-used.  What I was told is that Yemeni silver jewellery is made from melted down Maria Theresa Thalers and were allowed to be mixed with only a certain amount of nickel or copper to protect the value of the dowries it had to have the silver marks of the sultan of the region. Eventhough it is not sterling the silver content is still about 800 or so? at least the ones with the marks. Please tell me more.
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  Natalie Opie September 12, 2013 at 8:05am

  Thanks Ingrid. I'll try and add a photo of the eight beads showing their makers mark. Two of the beads have a loop in the middle and three of the beads are about 40mm wide & the rest are between 33-35mm wide. They all have the seed design (thanks for the info Ann) and only one bead has a slight crack. Some makers marks are clearer than others. Not sure if that makes a difference? They appear to be lower than 80% silver (compared to the beads in the photo above, which I think are high grade silver).
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  Leonor Arnó September 12, 2013 at 12:06pm

  Really beautiful!  I also have some I bought in Sana'a some years ago, all with the seeds shape and hallmark. I love them!
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  Natalie Opie September 14, 2013 at 11:57pm

  

  Here is a pic of the beads I mentioned :)
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  Harald September 20, 2013 at 10:00pm

  Real beauties, and still so undented!