Ancient Cut Turquoise bead necklace, with Sterling Silver end ring and spring clasp.
The same types of hand-cut bead forms -the elliptical cylinders and the small button-shaped spacers- have been unearthed in thousand year old sites in ancient Bactria, northern Afghanistan. These types of Ancient Cut beads were primarily used on Turquoise material and on the dark blue Lapis Lazuli.
The above beads are hand-cut in Jaipur Rajasthan, from Turquoise sourced in one of the Turquoise mines of Tibet. (We have had Turquoise beads in this Ancient Cut in the past, The Turquoise from the highlands of the border regions of western Afghanistan and Iran, but the gemcutters of Jaipur would have no reason to deceive in this matter, and besides, the colour of the Turquoise in the above strand, with its interesting greeny-blue, is certainly what Tibetan Turquoise usually is.)
The above Turquoise bead necklace is strung in Sydney, on tiger-tail, plastic-coated wire, strong and helpful in maintaining a good hang.