Ancient Agates, Old  Silver. The old banded Agates are of Afghani origin, excavated from the Northern Plain region of north Afghanistan, in the region of Balkh, and are hundreds of years old. And while we are very aware of just how strong is the tradition of antiquities fakery in Afghanistan, these old beads are sourced from a reputable Afghani trader with no need for fabrication.
The old banded Agates are paired here with matched old tribal Silver beads from Turkmenistan, just north of Afghanistan, very traditional handwork dating to the mid 1900s or a little earlier. (Indeed, these same sorts of traditional Silver beads are still today handcrafted by Turkmeni artisans in the old bazaar of Peshawar, just across the Afghani border with Pakistan, to which they fled during the civil strife which first brought the Taliban to power.)
The old Silver and Ancient Agates are flanked with Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise, both rock gemstones common to the broader region of northern Afghanistan and environs, though the Turquoise used here has its origin in one of China’s presently operating Turquoise mines. The fine dark blue Lapis is sourced from the ancient Lapis mines of far north-east Afghanistan.