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Name:

Four Thousand Year Old Agate Beads Alternating with Quadruple Spiral Gold Beads


Collection:

Agate


Material:

Agate, Lapis Lazuli, 20k gold


Size:

The necklace is 20 ¼ inches (51.5 cm) in length. The necklace weighs 64.25 gm.


Price:

$12,000.00


 

 

Description

 

A necklace of thirteen medium sized flat agate beads of rhomboid and flattened oval shapes alternating with twelve quadruple spiral motif gold beads. A small lapis bead faces each of the quadruple spirals. The spiral motif is repeated in the gold beading tips and the hook and eye clasp. The center rhomboid bead is 1.95 cm in width 3.2 cm in length and 7.5 mm in thickness. It is 7.5 mm wide at the ends and the diameter of the drill hole is 3.8 mm. The top and bottom surfaces are rounded, tapering towards the edges. The bead is mostly clear quartz with roughly a quarter of the bead being opaque bundles of quartz crystals bounded by white and gray layers. The two beads to either side of the center bead are similar in shape. The one to the left (in the photograph) is 1.7 cm wide at the center, 2.5 cm in length, and 6.2 mm in thickness. The bead is 6 mm wide at the ends and the diameter of the drill hole is 3mm. It is translucent quartz with white and gray banding. The bands extend through the clear quartz giving a kind of moire effect. The bead to the right of the central bead is slightly smaller with opaque white and gray banding. It is 1.63 cm wide at the center, 2.25 cm in length, and 6.5 mm thick. The ends are 6.3 mm in thickness, and the hole diameter is 3mm. The holes are chipped and there are gold tubes inserted in the holes to facilitate stringing and make the bead hang straight. The next bead back (on the right in the photograph) is an oval agate of translucent quartz with white banding. It is 1.9 cm in width and 1.7 cm in length and 6.95mm in in thickness. The hole diameter is 3.5 mm. Its opposite on the other side is an oval bead of quartz with orange carnelian at the outside edges. It is 1.63 cm in width 1.7 mm in length and 8.5 mm in thickness. The bead is 9mm wide at the ends and the drill hole diameter is 3mm. The next bead back from this is (fourth from the back on the left side of the photograph) is an ellipsoid oval of white and clear quartz with some brown markings. It is 1.9 cm wide, 2.14 cm in length and 7.3 mm in thickness. It is 8.3 mm wide at the ends and the hole diameter is 3mm. Its opposite (fourth from the back on the right side of the photograph) is translucent quartz with light brown banding going around the bead. It is 1.73 cm wide and 2 cm in length. It is 9 mm thick and 9 mm wide at the ends. The hole diameter is 4 mm. The next set of beads are both ovals of gray and white agate, (third from the back). The one on the right is 1.64 cm in width, 1.50 cm in length and 6.5 mm in thickness. The ends are 1 cm wide and the diameter of the drill hole is 4 mm. There is evidence of burial on one side where there is whitening from lying in alkaline soil for an extended period of time. There is a chip in the surface on this side. The quartz is translucent gray with white banding on one end. The other bead opposite is also gray and white translucent quartz with some white banding. It is 1.77 cm wide, 1.6 cm in length and 7 mm in thickness. The ends are 7mm wide and the drill hole diameter is 3 mm. The next agate bead behind it (left side of the photograph, second from the back) is translucent white quartz with opaque white banding. It is 1.8 cm wide, 1.4 cm in length, 8 mm thick and 1 cm wide at the ends. The drill hole diameter is 4 mm. The opposite bead in the necklace (second from the back on the right side of the photograph) is also translucent white quartz with opaque white banding. It is 1.7 cm in width, 1.6 cm in length and 7 mm in thickness. It is it is 7.5 mm wide at the ends and the drill hole diameter is 4.4 mm. At the back of the necklace (left side) is a rhomboid transparent quartz bead with opaque white banding across it. It is 1.75 cm wide, 1.7 cm in length, and 6 mm thick. It is 5 mm wide at the ends and the hole diameter is 3mm. The last bead (on the right side of the necklace in the photograph) is an flat oval bead with two zones which bisect the bead. The darker zone is transparent with a gray tint. The drill hole is clearly visible. The white zone opaque and slightly grayish with a bright white band near the end. The bead is 1.6 cm in width and 1.4 cm in length. The thickness is 7.5 mm and the ends are squared off and are 1 cm wide. The drill hole diameter is 3.5mm. The small lapis beads that face the agates are 3mm by 4mm. The agates are all Bronze Age. The large holes are diagnostic for an age of about four thousand years ago. There are twelve gold quadruple spiral beads. They are 1.6 cm wide and 1.44 cm in length. The spirals extend slightly beyond the lengths of the tubes that are the centers of the beads. The beading tips are gold cylinders with stirrups of gold wires that taper and curl at the ends where they are attached to the short cylinders. The hook and eye clasp is attached to these loops.