A Strand of Vintage African Trade Gray-Brown Agate Beads of Unusual Shape

These vintage African Trade Agate beads are of an unusual cylindrical shape with a cone at one end of the bead, and of a rare gray-brown color. The color of the beads in the photos is much lighter, more on the brown side than the actual gray that the beads look in reality. There are a few bicone beads mixed in with the cylindrical ones.

Exactly where these beads came to Africa from is not known. The sharp cuts at the edges indicate a possible Idar-Oberstein production, although this is not a typical shape for Idar-Oberstein beads. As most of the older Agate and carnelian beads were imported to Africa from India, these may also be old Indian imports.

The beads are generally in good condition, although some show age-appropriate nicks and chips on some beads.

There are several strands available. See photos for the options.

Each strand is approximately 20" long excluding raffia. The beads range 10-35 mm in length and 5-10 mm in diameter.

Dimensions:

Strand Length: 24in

Number of beads: 24

Bead Dimensions: range from 15x7mm to 22x9mm

Hole Diameter: 1-2mm

Weight: 54g

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 the 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.