Bauxite, (aka African Pipestone)Vintage Smooth Strands 5mm
SKU: AFO-39
Sale price
$18.00
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Only 5 in stock
Description
- Smooth, matched, polished strands of African Bauxite, beads 5mm diameter
- Perforations range from 1-2mm, strung on 22-inch strands with rich patina
- Sometimes called African Pipestone because they resemble Native American “pipestone” beads, Bauxite is aluminum ore.
- Ghana and Guinea are some of the world’s largest producers of aluminum and these beads are a happy byproduct. Their brick red color reminds me of the ubiquitous red soils, roads, and dust of Africa.
- I bought most of these in Abidjan in 1970, newer ones are rarely this nicely finished.