Turkoman Bead, Old Agates. The old centre Turkmen Silver bead is handcrafted, an old tribal piece that would have been one of a number flanking a largish Silver and Cornelian pendant, all on thickly-plaited twine, a necklace type fairly typical of tribal Turkmenistan around the border area with Afghanistan in the early 1900s. Note the superb finely twisted wirework, very labour intensive.
The old Agate beads are from the same region, north Afghanistan, but are much older, the Agates all handcut, hand-drilled, hand-polished.
The two other gemstone beads used in this necklace are also unusual; largish highly polished clear Crystal Quartz at each end of the old Silver Turkoman, and the spacer beads of tumble-polished opaque Ruby material.
This Sydney-created necklace is entirely unique.