Description

Amber and malachite beaded necklace with brass. Long rustic faceted amber beads with malachite spheres and African brass tubes. Each bead is individually wired so the necklace is a durable chain. Sterling silver clasp. The amber beads are hand made and each is unique and has beautiful blue green tones in the sunlight.

Necklace length: 55cm
Small amber beads approx 20x10mm
Amber pendant bead 45x15mm

The amber is from Chiapas, México and is 100% natural and untreated. Mayan amber untreated can be found in colors much more diverse than the common yellow: Wine, honey, cognac, green (extremely rare) and blue, as well as beautiful translucent shades of aqua and violet. Mexican amber is especially well-known for its deep red, which is extremely uncommon in other amber-rich areas of the world.

Our Mexican amber is mined from the state of Chiapas, in Southern Mexico, where the veins running through the strata are estimated to be some 24-30 million years old. Here, the amber was formed from the resin of an ancient tropical tree (genus Hymenaec), the same genus of tree that produces the prized amber of the Dominican Republic. As a fossilized resin, amber is not a mineral substance like most other gems, and it is this organic quality that makes amber unique.

Malachite is a close sister-mineral to copper (oxidized copper is green too!). In fact, Malachite is a result of the weathering of copper ores around limestone. Burning malachite in a fire will give you the end result of copper. Despite its metallic association, malachite is soft, scoring 3.4-4 on Moh’s scale. This is one reason why 4000 years ago the ancient Egyptians ground it up and used it as eye shadow.  

Sometimes seen as a poor man’s bronze, brass is an allow of copper and zinc and has a bright gold-like color. Similar to silver, brass has a low melting point, is easily workable, has good electrical conductivity, and even has anti-microbial effects. Famous for its use in instruments, brass has acoustic characteristics as well, making it a well-rounded and incredibly useful metal.  

This item ships from Mexico and will take 2-3 weeks to arrive