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S-America green stone beads. ID Please!
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Posted by: karavanserai

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06/09/2012, 17:49:00

Hello,
I know very little about the beads below except that they come from a South-America collection, and I become more and more fond of them:

- length from 14mmm to 30mm
- diameter from 9mm to 14mm
- half of them are oval shaped others round
- there is some patina
- tapered holes
- the holes have some wear
- green beige colour
- one bead is opaque (see most right one in one of the pictures)

They remind me of some beads I have seen labeled as Green stone, even Jade , but it does not look like Guatemala Jade I have found in the archives, which was much darker green. I don’t think they are serpentine – I tested it with a knive.

The best resemblance is with beads from Jan Skipper aka Mosquitobay on this link:
http://www.beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=get&cG=7323934383&zu=3732393335&v=2&gV=0&p=
The most green beads on the third picture of the second row look most like it.

They are less green than Danny Lopacki’s Pre-Columbian Jade bead (see link below), but the stone structure looks alike- at least to me and I am no stone specialist!:
http://www.beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=get&cG=5393439363&zu=3539343936&v=2&gV=0&p=

My questions are:
- can someone identify my “green” stones
-> stone type?
-> origin?
-> date?
- or anything else you could tell me about them.

Thank you!!! Have a nice weekend.

Green_stone_S-America_1c_2012.jpg (64.2 KB)

Green_stone_S-America_1d_2012.jpg (48.9 KB)

martine

Same beads more pics.
Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please! -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: karavanserai

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06/09/2012, 17:51:38

Any info is very welcome. Thanks

Green_stone_S-America_1a_2012.jpg (63.9 KB)

Green_stone_S-America_1b_2012.jpg (86.2 KB)

martine

Found similar beads....
Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please! -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: karavanserai

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06/12/2012, 06:22:39

on Silva's website 'Oldbeads' on 'the Americas including preColumbian' pages. This is the link http://www.oldbeads.com/americas.html

She mentions on AM797 of which I am including a picture: '... These beads and pendant are all preColumbian greenstone from the State of Guerrero....'. There are some more on this page that look alike.

I see similarities with my beads: some have flatten sides, and more oval like beads, there is that same colour and stone structure.

I would appreciate your opinion.
Could my beads (see pictures on the previous lines of this string) be preColumbian greenstone from the State of Guerrero, and what is this greenstone? Or are they newer? Still what is this greenstone.
Thank you!

martine

Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please!
Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please! -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: dogteam

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06/12/2012, 07:44:19

I have some virtually identical, seller said they were Mayan, from Mexico, Teotihuican, purchased in the 60's. I have both your "oval" tubular beads and the smaller round ones in the third post. Looks like same material. I look forward to any other info...?

Any S-America connoisseurs who might have an opinion? Please.
Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please! -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: karavanserai

Post Reply
06/15/2012, 04:06:16

martine

I'll ask...
Re: S-America green stone beads. ID Please! -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: dogteam

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06/15/2012, 10:21:16

I do know some people that actively collect dig beads in South America, I will pass on you query and see what they say.

Re: I'll ask...
Re: I'll ask... -- dogteam	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: karavanserai

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06/15/2012, 16:52:17

Thank you so much dogteam!
To be honest this is a complete new territory to me and I have been puzzled by this 'greenstone'denomination. If I read correctly, it is not really Jade, it is not granite, but what is it then.
I also would be very grateful if I got an opinion about my beads, their origin...
If it does not work out, don't worry. I appreciate the effort!
Thanks again.

martine

Well.....
Re: Re: I'll ask... -- karavanserai	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: dogteam

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06/17/2012, 22:34:05

About all I can find out is that they are a fairly common bead, pre-columbian for sure, throughout Venezuela, Columbia, Equador and into Peru. Someone with a large collection of similar material suggested calcite as the material, which jives with your partially translucent specimen, but that's just a guess. If so, you should find that the stone is pretty soft. Makes me question the provenance on my "mexican" beads, though.

Re: Well.....
Re: Well..... -- dogteam	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: karavanserai

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06/18/2012, 04:08:50

Thank you Dogteam!
Nice to know they would be pre-Columbian. When I checked some weeks ago I did not experience them as soft, but of course that is just my interpretation - should test it again
Regarding your beads, one thing is sure: pre-Columbian cultures were also present in Mexico, but the specific culture identification is another thing.
Thanks again!

martine

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