Contemporary etched Carnelian barrels, largest bead 14.10mm
Holes are 1-1.5mm
Etched Carnelians were first made by the Indus Valley civilization about 4500 years ago and were traded to the Ancient Egyptians and to Mesopotamia
The technique for making these beads is laborious, involving mixing alkaline sodium carbonate with the juice of a specific bush to create a paste, neither too thick nor too runny, which is painted onto the beads, the beads than have to be fired at just the right temperature to etch the stone without cracking it
Several strands are available, but we've given each its own number, and photographed each strand separately to show variations in size and designs
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