COL01. I have always loved the necklaces full of
colourful beads and holed coins that come from the south of Mexico, and
from Guatemala. This necklace is tied in the back so that it is
slipped over the head and worn double stranded. It came out of
Guatemala with 1 REAL coins most of which date from 1900 to 1912.
There is also a coin from 1846, and another from 1866. The
main beads are antique red whitehearts traded into the Americas from
Venice. There are also some "vaselines" and red trade beads with
white swirls on them. The last time that this was restrung some
more modern peach colour beads were included. Necklaces like this
are strung and re-strung many times to keep a good strong cord within
or to add a few more coins or beads. One strand is about 25
inches around, and the other 26, so there are more than 50 inches
altogether. $575.US. (sold)
COL02. Here is an attractive antique necklace from the
southern Mexico area made mostly out of black coral gathered in the
Gulf of Mexico. There is also some orange coral included.
The pendants of black coral have been shaped very nicely from the
original branches. The necklace has been recently restrung with
some tiny tiny black seedbeads as spacers. The necklace is a
little over 22 inches around plus a 2 5/8 inch long cross. The
cross is made of two shaped branches with a tiny nail holding them
together. $350.US.
COL03. This is a rather wonderful necklace which I
imagine was made in Poland. It is a collection of "3 groscher"
silver Polish coins of Sigismund III all from 1587-1632. There
are 16 coins about 20mm/7/8 inch across which have hanging loops
soldered onto them for suspension. The chain of the necklace is
21 1/2 inches long and closes with a simple clasp. It sits very
nicely as you can see here... I can imagine that this is a one of a kind piece. $850.US. (sold)
COL04. This vintage silver necklace came out of the south
of Mexico. Sections have been made out of milagros with stringing
holes at one end and an attached hanging loop at the other and
satellite beads with wires through them. The necklace part is 26
inches around and the cross with Senoras on it, is 6 inches tall.
The jeweller added a stamp to it with their ID as well as 92.5
signifying sterling silver (84 grams). $450.US. (sold)
COL05. Early silver beads and bird pendants from Peru. $380.US.
COL06. This 15 1/2 inch long necklace is made up of green
and carnelian beads from the Tairona of Colombia. There are
silver beads at the back from India or Afghanistan. The little
creature (zoomorphic amulet) at the front of the necklace is ever so
slightly over 1 inch long. $650.US.
COL07. This 16 1/2 inch long green stone beaded necklace
from the Tairona people of Colombia is absolutely gorgeous. It
has two small carnelian beads at the front along with a carved
carnelian bird amulet. The stringing hole is across the back of
the bird's neck. I find Tairona work to have a very magical
quality. $850.US. (on hold)
COL08. This necklace is a bit of a mix between two areas
in South America. The Tairona carnelian beads give great energy
to the silver pieces from Peru - all preColumbian/preHispanic.
The hollow silver men are very delicate so if you would like to
clean them you must be very gentle. The necklace is 18 inches
around and has a central bead pendant of 2 1/4 inches. The
tubular bead itself is slightly over 1 3/4 inches long. $550.US.
COL09. There is a great collection of zoomorphic
greenstone amulet beads from Mexico on this 16 inch necklace. The
spacers are silver flying saucer beads from Ethiopia, the only beads
that I could find that suited the creatures. There are ten
preColumbian amulet beads, and three plain ones. The largest
zoomorphic one in the middle is 1 1/4 inches long. When wearing
this you are travelling with magic coming from the past and being
brought into the modern world. $750.US.
COL10. I collected these beautifully shaped preColumbian
greenstone (including one amazing quartz) beads over a number of years.
I wanted a perfect group and I do think that I have one here.
There is a very thin disc bead as well. The crystal bead is
1 inch in diameter. There were no equivalent beads from the
Americas so I used Ethiopian flying saucer beads at the back. The
cord button-holes over a silver button of a rana, or frog. The
strand is 16 inches long with 7 3/4 inches of stone beads included.
$880.US. (sold)
COL11. These beads were known as ancient Romans coming
out of the trade routes in north Africa but are now thought to be
Islamic instead. They are beautiful beads each with their own
distinct character to them. The colours range from a glowing
green to deep blue. The necklace is 15 inches long with a
sterling silver clasp. $1450.US.
COL12. This
18 inch long necklace of silver beads from Afghanistan sits nicely with
the plaque/pendant at the base of the neck. It hasn't been
polished for a while and I think would like a little gentle buffing.
$600.US.
COL13. $450.US. (sold)
COL14. This 16 inch long necklace is made out of silver
beads from Afghanistan that were collected over time, all interesting
and sitting closely together, but having a spiderweb look to them as
well. $550.US.
COL15. This necklace came out of Cambodia exactly as is.
Being 22 inches around most people can slip it over their heads.
This came from an old collection in Thailand, the last item that
I have left from what I bought in the nineties. The fattest
carnelian bead at the front is about 5/8 inch, the blue and orange
beads are glass, all from trade in that area, and the pendant bead is a
striped agate. It was once a full dzi bead, but was broken, and
the broken part is at the top of it. It is 1 1/4 inches long.
$450.US.
COL16. These richly coloured glass beads are antique ones
from China. They average 1/4 to 5/16 inch in diameter and are in
beautiful shades of blue, green and turquoise. The double
strand suspends a silver stamp, squared in one direction and rounded in
the other. There is a different stamp at each end matching the
shape of the cylinder. The shorter strand is 17 1/4 inches long,
and the longer one is 18 inches long. It is very eye catching.
$500.US.
COL17. I love the colours of these antique glass facet
beads from Southeast Asia. They are the same style as the ancient
beads by Indo-Pacific beadmakers. This was most likely made in
the vicinity of Surabaya, Java with drilled holes as opposed to the
ancient folded beads (see p.89 "Collectible Beads). Beads along
this line are still being made but don't have the texture or intriguing
colours of these antique ones. They range from pale almost
colourless
blue to a pale mossy green. The longer beads are around 1 inch
long, and the entire necklace is 15 inches. These were brought
out of Cambodia. It is closed with a
"button" of a silver alligator - a milagro image. $320.US.
COL18. This 16 inch long necklace is composed of
old/ancient pieces of amazonite from digs in Mali, Africa in a
traditional leaf style shape, with African made blue glass beads behind
it. The combination is perfect in my eyes. The longest
amazonite bead is just under 2 inches. $460.US.
COL19. What a gorgeous mix of light coloured amazonite
beads coming out of Africa. There are about 63 grams (there are
tiny glass beads at the back since there werent enough amazonite to
finish the necklace otherwise), and a silver clasp. The necklace
is 16 inches long and the longest bead at the front is 1 1/2 inches.
There is a beautiful variety of colours and shapes. Some of
the pendant beads are halves of old beads that had been broken and then
reshaped so that they could still be worn - years ago. This is a
treasure. $950.US.
COL20. Here is a very nice group of Venetian glass beads,
a whole variety of colours and decorations. A few silver beads
have been mixed into the16 inch long necklace. I love examining
each one. $750.US.
COL21. This is a 22 inches long mixed strand of tiny
vaselines (3/8 inch in diameter) and antique Chinese beads.
$240.US.
COL22. 16 1/2 inches long. $65.US.
COL23. This is a rather magnificent necklace from
Guatemala or the south of Mexico - a rather ornate one. Typically
the central pendant is a silver coin - 1902 - 1 peso Republica
Mexicana. The coin is 1 9/16 inch across and decorated with a
pair of rabbits and two small coins soldered onto it. The
necklace is full of silver objects/images. Birds, hands, pots
& containers, a fish, a heart, a cross, horse, eyes, etc.
They vary in age as these necklaces get taken apart and
reconstructed when new additions are found. The brick coloured
beads are made of clay. The necklace is 31 inches around with a 3
1/2 inch long pendant section in the front. $850.US.
COL24. This necklace is typical of Guatemala or the south
of Mexico. The cultures share ideas, images and workmanship.
This necklace is 28 inches around with a 4 1/4 inch long pendant
section. The bottom piece of the pendant is a silver bird with
wings spread holding a small coin in its beak. The bird is 1 3/4
inches long. The milagros that I love the most on this piece are
two legs. I will have to take a photo of them as you can't see
their shape on this photo. They are antique and quite different
from each other. Two of the pendants are made of cut out coins,
as you can see in the bird in the preview pic. The necklace is
composed of antique "vaseline", and red whiteheart beads traded in from
Europe long ago. This is a memorable piece. $800.US.
COL25. This is a very simple strand of African trade
beads originating in Venice. The central bead is a 7-layer
chevron, 3/4 inch long and 5/8 in diameter. The strand is just
under 16 inches, and all threaded onto a leather cord, tied shut in the
back. $225.US.
COL26. Here is a mix of antique 6 and 7 layer chevron
beads, made in Venice and traded into Africa. The necklace is 15
3/4 inches long and closed with a sterling silver clasp. The
central bead is 7-layer, 7/8 inch long and 7/8 inch in diameter.
The strand includes 2 facet chevrons that came out of Peru.
I will have to sit down and count how many 6-layer and how many
7-layer there are here. $1200.US.
COL27. This is a serene necklace of pale greenstone beads
from Africa. The beads are preColumbian/preHispanic made by the
ancient culture. This necklace is made up of 12 beads with the
strand being 19 1/2 inches around and the pendant bead 1 5/8 inches
long. The longest bead on the strand is just over 2 3/4 inches,
the second longest is 2 1/2 inches long. It is closed with a
silver "S" hook clasp. $1100.US.
COL28. This is a very subtle, lovely, ancient and
compelling strand of long, narrow stone beads. They came out the
Cambodia/Vietnam era and could possibly be from the Phung Nguyen
Culture, The strand measures 28 inches in length, and is strung
with fishing line - I haven't changed it since I bought it. Most
of the beads have a dusty looking pale moss-like colour. One is
flecked a little with a brick colour, and another is a little creamy
with a bit of yellow to it. The bead at the front is 1 11/16 inch
across and 5/16 inch in diameter at the thickest. This is quite a
remarkable strand. $900.US.
COL29. Necklaces
have been made like this in the "New World" since coins were first
minted there. This necklace has four loops of strands with more
than 120 coins from Peru, Colombia and Ecuador generally from the 1940s
to 1960s. The strands are tied together at the back. This
necklace would have been worn with traditional clothing for special
occasions, market visits, or church visits. The beaded part of
the necklace (with coins) is 15 inches long. The entire length
from end to end is 20 inches, enough to tie comfortably. (not currently for sale)
COL30. I have always loved the South American necklaces with silver images and very specifically designed trade beads. This
probably came out of Bolivia with the typically designed cross with a 3
dimensional Christ on it. The 14 women made from sheet silver who
parade around the necklace are all holding children, and made in a
variety of styles. The necklace
is 30 inches around and tied shut. The cross at the front is 2
1/4 inches tall. This is a very memorable necklace.
$1050.US.
COL31. Description
will come... from the collection of Gerald Emmett Carter, former
Archbishop of Toronto, Canada 1978-1990. $800.US.
COL32. This complex and
interesting piece was bought in Herat, Afghanistan. I had a similar
piece which was a wedding pendant from Iran, which is close by.
Perhaps this is a piece worn within a community which crosses the
border. The piece weighs about 219 grams, and is very well made and
quite complex. Even the chain itselv is magnificent. The chain itself
is 41 inches long, and the pendant is 3 1'2 inches long and 3 inches
wide. The 2 5/8 inch long amulets do open at one end but are currently
empty inside. They would be used for holding magical words. Trying it
on, the pendant hangs well beneath my waist. This would only have been
worn on special occasions and the words would have imparted protection
and good wishes to the wearer. It is quite dramatic and intriguing.
$1150.US. (sold)
COL33.
This Tuareg "elkez" bracelet is remarkably heavy at 345.9 grams.
This is too small for me to wear (I can slip it on but it doesn't
sit comfortably) so it has sat in its sculptural way in a display case
along with other African silver. The inside measures 1 7/8 inches
across from side to side. These pieces were signs of wealth as
well as ornament and often made from melted down coins or trade silver.
(see page 37 of "A World of Bracelets") This is silver but
not sterling grade. The jewellery made her varies a lot as it is
made from the melted silver that they have collected. Theends of
the geometrically decorative pieces are 1 1/8 inch square.
$850.US. 
COL34.
This is my favourite of all of the Timorese bracelets that I
have had, and for a long time I couldn't part with it. It is a
beautiful wearable sculptural piece although it was most likely made to
be held tightly in the hand by a traditional dancer. That is why
the shape is wider than an average wrist would be. The inside of
the bracelet is 2 1/2 inches at the widest. The bird in the
middle is 1 1/2 inches across and 1 inch tall. There are 5 birds
altogether. $750.US.
COL35.
This is an old sandcast Navajo bracelet that I bought in the
early 1980s from a vintage shop. Somebody must have tried to
change the size which you cannot do with a sandcast piece as it has no
flexible grain to the silver - and it was once broken and repaired.
You can barely see where that is. The inside of the
bracelet is 2 1/8 inches by 1 1/2 inches. It needs to fit quite
closely so do measure against a close fitting bracelet that you have.
$250.US.
COL36.
These two Navajo bracelets are being sold together. They
were bought separately in the early 1980s before they were seen as
being quite as fashionable as they are now. Although made and
bought separately, they are almost the same size to wear, and look very
good together. One has turquoise set into it, and the other has
rounded silver domes. The inside measurements are 2 1/8 inches by
1 3/4 inches across. $330.US/pair 
COL37.
Here is a pretty fantastic dzi bead that I have held onto for a
few years. It was just too magnificent to give up. I am
quite sure that it was once a much longer bead, but breakage long long
ago caused it to be sliced to a shorter length. It is still very
large. The bead is 2 3/8 inches from one end to another and has a
diameter of almost 7/8 inch. Do check an article about dzi beads
in "Arts of Asia" July-August 2002, Volume 32, Number 4. Do
contact me to ask about the price.
COL38.
These beads were gathered together over a number of years.
Every once in a while I would find another that suited this
strand. It all began with the blue bead in the preview shot.
It was made in Africa by melting Venetian trade beads together,
probably broken ones put to a new use. I love the colours of the
combination. Above that is a granite bead 2 1/2 inches long, and
then a variety of glass & granite and some silver wound beads at
the end. The longest bead is a Czech glass facet bead 4 3/4
inches long. It has that eerie colour to it like soap bubbles do
but the most marvellous this is that it has been cut into, engraved and
decorated. A magical quality is added to the bead. The
entire strand is 21 inches long. $350.US. 
COL39.
I have no history for this pendant. I just found it
fascinating and have a strong feeling that it is one of a kind,
designed and made for some personal aesthetic and reason. The
body of this pendant is copper that has been hammered into shape.
The piece of the copper for the shape of the head is a flat piece
which has a piece of silver coloured material soldered onto it as a
face. I wish I did have a story to provide. It has been
around a while, worn and banged up a bit with the colour altered by
time... The man is 4 3/4 inches tall. $175.US.
COL40. I bought this at auction long ago being charmed by the writing on it. This is a souvenir of the Columbian exhibition in Chicago in 1893.
If you read about it you can see that it was quite an amazing
time. The ring has never been worn so the writing on the inside
and out is just perfect. On the inside it has the maker's mark:
"Gorham MFGC - registered - Sterling 1892 - 5". It is a
size 5. On the outside it says: "recuerdo de la esposicion
de Chicago 1492-1893" and "EL ANILLO DE ISABEL", along with a symbol.
I wanted to wear it myself but realized I didn't want to wear
the letters down at all but keep it exactly as it is. $175.US.
COL41.
This is a gorgeous greenstone Mayan face mask made so that it
could be hung like a pendant. This was broken long ago so the
chin is missing. It was broken across the eyes and has been
repaired, again, long ago. I would not try hanging it from the
two stringing holes unless I was sure that the repaired break was
absolutely strong. I have simply had this piece sitting in a
display case along with preColumbian beads. The mask is 2 3/4
inches tall and 2 1/4 inches at the widest. The back has an
attractive curve to it. $750.US.
COL42.
Here is a1950s souvenir bracelet from Rome (not sterling - I am
not sure what material has been used though it has the "look" of
silver). Modern souvenirs don't have the charm of the ones made
in the 40s through 60s so I am always looking for the old ones.
Although I have visited a few places in Italy I have never been
to Rome so it seemed a little silly to hold onto this. There are
four different images on the coins and you can check a close-up here. $145.US. 
COL43.
This is a small collection of Tairona beads from Colombia that I
used to make a comfortable necklace. I only used a narrow strand
of waxed cotton as I didn't wear it often - it would be safer with a
sturdier stringing material. The silver beads at the back are
from Africa - I always have a small stockpile of them to use like
this.The necklace is 17 inches long and the central grey streaked bead
is 1 7/8 inches long. The tubular carnelian bead is 1 7/8 inches
long as well. I think that the different stones look great
together and represent a skilled and artistic culture. $750.US.
COL44.
I am selling these two necklaces together as that is how I made
them to be worn - separate or together, with one pendant or the other
over-lapping. The shorter antique natural coral necklace is 18
inches long and has a Moroccan box pendant (silver in the front, brass
in the back) 1 1/16 inches square. The second necklace is 20
inches long and has a Moroccan box pendant 1 1/2 by 5/8 inches.
The "S" hook clasps are sterling silver. The coral is a
richer colour than it appears in the photo. $600.US/for both
necklaces together.to place an order please click here.
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