These Beads...I can't be sure what they are - but they are Vintage or Antique

[xmelax38]

Hi my group of Antique Forum Friends! I got a very nice lot of vintage and antique jewelry.  One of the lots had some very nice pieces in it! I am surprised what it had in it. I broke one of the nice pieces by accident and have to find a jewelry repairmen - as I think I may keep it.  Anyway, down in it was this set of beads.  I cannot figure it out for my life!

I don't normally post about jewelry, but I can't figure it out. Everyone I have taken it to around here is unsure of what they are, but they know they are not plastic and I got 3 or 4 different answers. I was hoping at least 2 of the answers I got would be close, but they were not. I looked up what they said and they are not even close. One person said Jade Beads (they thought they also may be what I thought they were - the Antique Chinese Carved Carnelian beads), another person said Scarab beads, and another said Glass beads or glass Polynesian.

I believe they look very close to the design of an Antique Chinese Carved Carnelian Jade Court Beaded Necklace. That is as close to what I can find with a carving/design like that.  They are carved and inside some of the beads I can see a few black pieces of something and a few red specs.  It is quite interesting. They are knotted in between each bead.  The people I showed even said that usually higher quality jewelry is knotted between beads, including pearls - they are knotted in between.  I am really hoping for once I got something good with these. They are not plastic at all.

Fist I am going to post a photo of my beads. Then the last photo will be of the ones I saw on the internet: the Antique Chinese Carved Carnelian Jade Court Beads.  So here I go:









Now here is the photo of the Antique Chinese Carnelian Court Beads that I saw on the internet for a comparison:

[xmelax38]

P.S. my lighting was not so great I see when I took the photos. I should have went outside to take them, but it is freezing out there, ha ha.

[mart]

Very nice !!  Sure look close, don`t they ??  Its out of my area but some of the others might know !!

[xmelax38]

Thanks Mart! I thought they did.  I have looked at all kinds of beads, even the ones that the people around here mentioned, but they look nothing like these. Not even close. 

[icedgold10]

I'm not an expert in these at all but they look like glass to me.  The stone is a much more dense property  but it could be the light.  When you hold them to your cheek are they super cold? Stone is very cold when this is done.  Make sure you leaves them sit for a bit in low light before you try this.

[xmelax38]

They are cold, smooth, and they don't scratch at all no matter what I use on them. I tried some scratch tests I saw on the internet. I used everything from scissors, a very hot needle, and my fingernail.  They also make a ting sound when knocking stuff against them. I guess glass does that too, so I guess it could be glass. Thanks for all the input. It is helpful.

[icedgold10]

Must be the light.  They have to be stone and have to be the same as the others. Can't think of any other stone that would be that close.

[xmelax38]

They look nicer than the picture. I should have taken them outside to take the picture. The lighting in our house isn't that great.  It is really cold out though.

[xmelax38]

Oh and there isn't any bubbles inside if that helps.

[xmelax38]

I just found a photo on ebay that looks just like my beads (when they are in good light) - the color is exactly the same as these on many of the beads (that mix of color and all). Here is the photo from ebay that I found that are like mine.

[greenacres]

That looks like amber in the bottom photo. The eBay photo that is. One of the top photos look like there some kind of scarab design on them.

[xmelax38]

That's what someone around here said too.  I had several different answer everywhere I went. The only place I didn't go was the jewelry store. I agree about the bottom photo. I think the only similarities are that they both have the 2 colors in them. Mine has some of that dark color in them. It's the closest one I could find on the internet though. I emailed the jewelry store this morning but haven't heard back from them. I had emailed them to see if I could bring them in to be checked and how much it would cost me.  We have about 4 or 5 jewelry stores, but there is one that has been around since before I was born and they are a locally owned one, so I emailed them.  I figure they are not worth anything, but there was always that hope.

[icedgold10]

Stop by a jewelry store.  In person would be better.

[xmelax38]

I was going to just stop by one, but the one that I was going to go to, I contacted them first to see if they could look at them. I just emailed them over the weekend. I emailed them because I wanted to explain what it was (letting them know it was not gold or something) and to find out if they could even look at something like that, plus to find out how much they would charge me to look at it and identify it. I told them I was not needing to know how much it was worth, just needing to know for sure what it was made of. I haven't heard back from them.  That was the jewelry store that has been here since before I was born. 

In our town we also have Dunkins Diamonds and Gold, Andrews Jewelers and Kay Jewelers. Do you know if places like that can probably look at them?  Do you think that people who work at those type of jewelry stores, probably are not gemologists? That was the other reason I contacted the other place, because they have certified gemologists. So I figured they might know better than the other stores.

[Dogaman]

Why not contact your local Gem Society or Club to see who they might recommend?