Description

Long beaded chain necklace: perfectly polished black jade sphere beads with African brass. Natural jade gemstone. Each bead is individually wired to each other for durability and strength. There is no clasp, fits over most heads. Nice weight.

Necklace length: 66cm
Black jade spheres: 15mm
African brass beads: 2.5x1cm
Necklace weight: 124g

The jadeite jade is from Guatemala and is 100% natural and untreated. Our jadeite jade is mined from the Motagua river valley in Guatemala, the hard stone was one of the most valuable materials in Mesoamerica and was used for a variety of purposes both sacred and profane.

The word ‘jade’ comes from the Spanish ‘piedra de ijada’, or loin-stone, named because of its reputed ability to heal ailments of that area. But ‘jade’ actually denotes two stones, jadeite and nephrite, both of which are accepted as genuine jade. Jadeite, however, is the rarer and more valuable of the two, and is mostly what is excavated in Guatemala. While nephrite can be found in shades of green, white and grey, jadeite displays a spectrum of colors in addition to the classic green, including blue, white, pink, lavender, orange and black. Jadeite also has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.0—a full unit harder than nephrite—and is tougher than diamonds (i.e. is more resistant to chipping and breaking). Both nephrite and jadeite are metamorphic rocks commonly marked with veins or imperfections, although it is often these imperfections that will make a particular piece special and in some cases more valuable. In general, as it is with most stones, fine jade is distinguished by even clarity of color and translucence.  

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 to 3 weeks to arrive.