One Last Jewelry Question & I Swear I'll Stop!

Leisa

Leisa

VFG Member
One Last Jewelry Question & I Swear I\'ll Stop!

Thanks again - I promise, No More Jewelry Questions after this!

I could use some KW help with this choker. I'm running on empty here...

All I can think of is Slave Necklace, but that isn't right.

I suppose I could just call it a turquoise & bone choker, but where's the pizzazz in that?

I Know it's vintage because I've had it since the late 70's.
I bought it at a glorified junk shop way back then.

357k83t.jpg


I think I wore it all of 2 times because it sits too high on my neck. And I can't wear chokers at all anymore.

It's real stones, though not high quality & the barrels are made of bone.

I believe it's from India or close by.

I'm not sure of the metal, though. Some kind of brass or silver wire.

It says Bohemian, Indian, & Hippie to me, but I need to say it in a catchy way. oi
 
Well, Leisa, it does look tribal to me, but like you, I'm here asking for help from the experts - so I could be way off!

Cheers.
 
Leisa, I have had a pretty much similar necklace, and another one that had the same kind of shape of stones, but wasn't a choker, and completely made of (silver?)wire.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures - I sold them only a month or two ago via an online auction, and have already killed the photo - and I can't look up the auction anymore, because on that site you can't look up past auctions for long (it's not ebay, it's a Swiss site that costs less and where I do better with low-priced, everyday things than on ebay - it's also less work, and limited to Switzerland only).

Anyway, I know I bought both these necklaces at the Christmas market her in Zurich's main trainstation, but not the same year. Must've been about 1994-1997 latest, that was my phase when I was into turquoise jewelery and that cowboy/southwestern look. I remember the seller was South American, and he had other things like ponchos and woolen hats too.

Funny, I always asked myself what these long light brown things were, but I never though of bone!

Karin
 
Originally posted by Midge
... I remember the seller was South American, and he had other things like ponchos and woolen hats too.
Click to expand...

This is a Peruvian piece, similar to what Midge purchased.

The metal is Alpaca (a nickel alloy) and the stones are most often a type of jasper. I believe that the bugle style beads are a type of reed (grass), but am uncertain about that.
 
I believe that the bugle style beads are a type of reed (grass)
Click to expand...

Actually I have always assumed it was this kind of thing too. Just couldn't think of the right word... ah, it's too hot!

I remember that guy selling those Peruvian woolen hats, so it might make sense that the necklaces come from there too. I shouldn't wonder if they still sell these, but nowadays I usually skip that market - too many people, and there seems to be the same stalls and wares every year...

Karin
 
They do look like quills don't they?

OK, I just did some checking and they refer to these beads as 'bamboo', so I believe you can simply call it this instead of reed, etc.

I 'knew' at one time the Quechua word but can't remember it now. If I can contact some old Quechuan speaking friends, I can find out for you when I get back from my trip (or you may end up finding it a lot faster via google).
 
Thanks!

I was told by an antique dealer that the tubes were bone. But now that I look at them with the loop, they DO appear to be rather like wood. So I think a treated bamboo may be right.

The ends are discolored & look almost like they were burned to cut them.
Of course, that could also be some sort of oil or a type of stain.

The wire definitely has a brass tone to it in the places where it hasn't faded completely. I guess a nickel alloy could be in a more brass tone than silver tone, right?

It's very cool. Peruvian you say? hmmmm. I never even considered that.

Thanks gain - L.
 
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