Another Mystery Necklace

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Charmed Life on November 27, 2011 at 7:43pm

When you tap them with a fingernail, what do they sound like?  Or if you tap two together, what does that sound like?

Are they heavy or light?

The plain white one in the lower left side looks to have a chip near the black finding, or it is a bit of dust or something. Can you see anything at that chip?  

If they are wood, you should see grain markings, especially at the holes. 

They look, from the photo, like plastic beads with black paint.

1950s era. 

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on November 27, 2011 at 8:19pm

thanks...

sharp eyes you have there. Yes, that seems to be a paint chip and looking through the magnifier, it looks like a brown matte surface underneath

 they do have a " seam" on both sides

I really don't think they are plastic, they sound and feel like a wood or seed or yes, maybe a nut which would explain the "seam". But they do seem to have been painted over. Fairly light but not as much so as the other plastic pieces here

here is another view

 

Permalink Reply by ReVamping Vintage on November 27, 2011 at 8:45pm

Tagua nuts are larger and would have a smooth or carved surface.  I have a whole box of them here. If you look them up on ebay and see what they look like, you'll see the difference. 

Tagua is also called vegetable ivory. 

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on November 27, 2011 at 8:46pm

thanks...yes I think it may be.

So 1950s, possibly painted nuts or large seeds

thanks! :)

Permalink Reply by CheriShops - Admin on November 27, 2011 at 9:08pm

Hi Center Street :) just saw your post

yes, I don't think they are tagua nuts, after looking at other pics of those, especially as these are so very uniform in size and shape....that's what made me think they may be a manmade beads, painted...but definitely not plastic from the way they feel and sound. Looking real close at that brown area under the chipped paint, it has a glittery look to it? But it sounds and feels "woodsy"