Beaded Chinese Court Necklace

Fine long bead necklace set with jadeite, carnelian and rhodochrosite.

The 25″ silk-strung necklace is beaded with all natural stones, except for two small yellow ancient glass beads.

So wondrous is its composition no gold has come in.

Silk or spice, and beads of stone or glass, the way of ancient trade routes and the timeworn life of pebbles which have become baubles – our jewelry life if far from beads is just not worth the dazzle.

There is the dream of the Chinese imperial court in these stones and colors of inner and outer courts.

The light lavender has equally light plasma of green, if only to meld into the serpentine jade (ancient) and chrysoprase (antique) beads, blurring the line between their times of ‘production’.

The big fun orb is 22mm, its friend is 14mm, both orbiting in a clasp-free necklace that can be worn freely in ANY turn.

The saga in this necklace is how it feels different every time you wear it.

The history of an actual chaozhu (‘court beads’ of the Qing court) is mostly glass, that is, hardstone reserved only for the few, with glass for everyone else.

Court necklaces sold by auction houses may be old, but nonetheless glass.

Then, glass was bright and beautiful while mined stones were dull and not striking on the person.

Today, we have reach and reason to bring into existence a court-like necklace with actual earth-excavated colors, using actual excavated stones.

The material value of these beads is all stone, clean, not small, on par but less fragile than its classical sisters poised at the museum.

The archeological value of this necklace is its spirit, the parts which are ancient just are.

A material and spiritual keepsake that is not impossible both ways – while these are here, when the momentum will have us.