Vintage African Trade Carnelian Agate Unusual Heart and Shield Shaped Beads - a Full Strand.
This listing is for a full 25" strand of old African Trade carnelian agate. The rounded edges of the beads appear to indicate that the beads were imported from India. Agates were imported from India to Africa and the Mediterranean from ancient times, and this continues to be the case. The age of these specific beads is unknown, but most likely these date to the end of the 19th-early 20th century.
These beads are unusual in shape. Each bead is in the shape of a heart or a shield, with top-drilled holes. The location of the holes allows for the use of these beads as pendants, or as part of a necklace if strung together. The small black spaces on the strands appear to be glass.
The beads clearly traveled a lot, and while generally in a fair condition, some show age-appropriate nicks and chips are expected. In addition, Strand A has one of the beads substantially chipped at the end - see photos for the detail. The price already reflects these imperfections.
The photos show representative strands. You will receive a strand very muck similar. If you wish to see your specific strand, please let me know and I will send a q2uick photo.
Weights and sizes are approximate.
IMPORTANT NOTE. In the world of beads, and especially ancient and antique beads, errors in identification are common. We do our best to research and classify our beads accurately, however mistakes are certainly possible. If you are a bead expert and notice any errors in description, we invite you to please contact us and let us know. We are always grateful for any new information. We also accept returns no questions asked. See our Return Policy for detail.
COLORS: Our photos are taken in different lighting in an attempt to show how beads look in different lighting conditions. We make every effort to show colors as accurately as possible. The white background photos are taken in daylight conditions. The black background photos are taken in the strong lab light, and would be representative of what they would look like in the evening electric light. Some of the photos are backlit to emphasize their translucency. Note that monitor settings strongly affect the way the colors look. What you see on your monitor may differ from what you see with a naked eye depending on your monitor settings.
WE COMBINE SHIPPING and will refund any overage. Contact us when placing the order and we will work with you to ensure the best available shipping cost.
