| Original Message: Re: Chinese Serpentine |
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Hello WenP, Your beads do look like Chinese serpentine. Serpentine can be easily distinguished from jade and other hard stones by its relative low hardness. A steel point easily makes a scratch into serpentine. The cut of these beads is popularly called the "baroque" or "finger-bone" shape. It is very typical of many turquoise and amber beads, but also other materials—and these are nearly always Chinese beads. Because serpentine is a soft material, manufacturers can make the surface appear softly matted (not shiny), and make the beads appear to have some age when they are rather recent. Also, since the material is soft, a bit of wear translates in people's minds as indicating greater age than may be likely. I hope this helps. Jamey All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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