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large black coral beads
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Posted by: lindabd

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09/25/2017, 08:20:11

Good morning!
These beads are quite large. They graduate from 2.2cm to 2.8cm across. They all have 6 curved facets and an overall onion shape.
They appear to me to be some kind of horny black coral - but I have never seen black coral beads anywhere near this size, nor have I seen this shape in another material.
They are glossy and lustrous with random pockets some of which contain the nub of a branch, some of which are empty.
Has anyone seen their like before?
They are strung on a nylon cord with raw looking amber chips between.

You should consider that these may be jet beads.
Re: large black coral beads -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Beadman

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09/25/2017, 15:52:00

I did initially, but there is one bead...
Re: You should consider that these may be jet beads. -- Beadman	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/25/2017, 19:54:32

not visible in either of the previously posted photos (apologies for the oversight!).
It is to the very left of the image below.
It is a bead that is decidedly of the same material as the others, but brownish in color and more opaque in feeling.
I'll post a closer image when I get some daylight tomorrow.
Also... I've never seen jet with the cavities that these beads have, some empty and others with a woody stem like thing lodged in there.
Have you seen this faceted onion shape before?
Many thanks for the response.
LD

Re: I did initially, but there is one bead...
Re: I did initially, but there is one bead... -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/25/2017, 20:04:17

Sorry... lost wifi in mid posting. Image below

... and the photo is...
Re: I did initially, but there is one bead... -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/25/2017, 20:05:00

Jeez, I'm sorry to resort to this seemingly so often...I can be so destructive!
Re: ... and the photo is... -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Joyce

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09/25/2017, 22:50:35

But......taking a bead away from the group...and breaking it may clarify quite a lot...apologies, but these are really hard to tell from the images...which also resemble lacquered wood. But I don't understand the little holes.

carved nut/seed?
Re: large black coral beads -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Floorkasp

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09/25/2017, 22:49:43

To me they look like a carved nut or seed. They all appear to have just that one very consistent hole. In coral they might have a variety of remaining branch textures. Hans or Stefany might know.

I think you've got it Floor
Re: carved nut/seed? -- Floorkasp	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/25/2017, 23:37:56

When I removed the string I noticed that some of the beads rattle a bit. They all have three holes marching around the middle and three small holes at the base.
One of them is a bit damaged so tomorrow I'll open it up.
Of course carved nut or seed would explain the consistent eccentric shape!
Cheers!
LD

Re: carved nut/seed - and there you have it! A seed!
Re: carved nut/seed? -- Floorkasp	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/26/2017, 10:18:25

I still wonder who made it, where, what kind, how...
Thanks so much for the help!

Voila! The hammer test can be so efficient.
Re: Re: carved nut/seed - and there you have it! A seed! -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Joyce

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09/26/2017, 18:55:35

I think it's a kukui nut
Re: Re: carved nut/seed - and there you have it! A seed! -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Rosanna

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09/26/2017, 21:26:38

Check out botanicalbeads.com, page 129 (see link below).

It appears these nuts are made into traditional Hawaiian seed leis.

Related link: http://www.botanicalbeads.com/BBB_page_129.html

Re: I think it's a kukui nut
Re: I think it's a kukui nut -- Rosanna	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/28/2017, 23:08:06

Thank you so much for this link Rosanna!
What a great resource!
I don't think it is a Kukui nut though because of the shape. Kukui nuts are a bit flattened I think?

Re: large black coral beads
Re: large black coral beads -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: alipersia

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09/26/2017, 01:34:40

Hi . brightness seems jet.
Carvansarey earlier posted a pic of black coral which is very clear.you might compair your beads by that pic.
Ali

1_Yemen_black_coral_silver_prayer_beads_1b_2013-05.jpg (119.1 KB)

What extraordinary beautiful beads! Thank you for posting!
Re: Re: large black coral beads -- alipersia	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/26/2017, 10:20:05

Lovely stuff!
Re: Re: large black coral beads -- alipersia	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Joyce

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09/26/2017, 18:54:15

if they have those dots...
Re: large black coral beads -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: stefany

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09/28/2017, 09:27:25

then they are Acrocomia Aculeata nuts!!

see the page:

(my email and internet went off for over a week but i hope now restored...
i was in Capetown...)

https://ethnicjewels.ning.com/profiles/blogs/very-unusual-antique-carved-palm-nut-beads

Modified by stefany at Thu, Sep 28, 2017, 09:30:14

Re: if they have those dots...
Re: if they have those dots... -- stefany	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: lindabd

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09/28/2017, 23:15:54

Thank you Stefany,

Have you ever seen these palm nuts shaped and polished as they are here? Any idea why they each have three holes not only at the base, but at intervals around the belly?

The image I'm attaching is unrelated - but I thought of something you posted somewhere when I encountered these beads.

Czech lamp work perhaps?

Re: Re: if they have those dots...
Re: Re: if they have those dots... -- lindabd	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: stefany

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09/30/2017, 13:25:35

Well coconuts have 3 dots or places at one end of the shell where you can more easily pierce to get to the milk and crack open for the flesh inside so it feels related- but a botanist might explain better...

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