Lots of beautiful beads. Thanks, everyone, for showing them.

I'm not sure how I feel about this necklace. Most of my old Chinese friends are disdainful of the Qing dynasty and its products, though that's where the market is rocketing up. They see it as unChinese with its Manchu values, tastes and regulations. Personally, I love Qing monochrome porcelain, but that's about it. But I've always been intrigued by these court necklaces and their intricacies, so when the opportunity came to get this one, I fell for it. It's from a good old Swiss collection.

One of the things that strikes me first is just how well made and matched the beads are - 108 dark, glowing carnelian, 30+4 jadeite, 4 mounted amethyst pendants, and 1 nephrite. It comes with a really beautiful black and gold lacquer box (cinnabar on the inside). The box has a Kangxi mark, but I imagine it's later, nineteenth century.

Happy Christmas to everyone.

Will