African Amber, Diamond Shape Bead, Deep Brown Amber, 30x30mm
SKU: JSD-896
Sale price
$30.00
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Only 1 in stock
Description
- Rich, warm, mahogany brown diamond shape African amber bead, 30x30mm
- The dark color indicates that this is one of the earliest African amber beads. The pre-1940 formula darkens over time, later resins did not have this property.
- This bead does have a scorch mark on one of its corners. This can happen when it gets too close to a cooking fire, stove, or lamp. Sometimes people also try to turn these beads red by heating them in hot oil or sand which can be dangerous and doesn't always work. Second image shows the mark. Third shows smooth hole.
- The center holes were drilled so women could wear these in their hair, but they offer us a variety of creative options.
- The material these vintage/antique beads are made of is an early synthetic called phenolic thermosetting resin. It was developed in 1910. Bakelite is the best known brand among several European manufacturers producing faux amber beads, jewelry and household products before World War II.
- Phenolic resin amber beads probably started coming to Africa as a substitute for real Baltic amber in the 1920s and 1930s and trade lasted into the 1950s according to recent research by Rosanna Falabella.
- Several generations of newer resin beads have followed, some better than others, at a variety of prices, but none can approach the beauty and durability of the original phenolic resins which are now almost 100 years old, and wear it well.
- All the African Amber beads being posted in June 2025 are from the collection of Joyce Diamanti, world traveler, bead collector, researcher, writer, editor and educator. Mine remain in strands for the time being. See AFO-106, 119, 120, 122, and AFO-124. The Berber strands AFO-157-AFO-170 are a newer type of resin.