Descrição

Colar de contas imitação de âmbar. Dogon.

Beads sold as "amber" by traders include beads made of amber, copol, resins binding powdered amber or copol, resins, and plastics. Some of the oldest pieces , showing wear on the sides from many years of wear, are not amber. Superb ethnic jewelry, including pieces from China, Tibet, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Mali, among others, are made from these "amberoids." I don't know the chemical makeup of these beads, and do not want to be misleading..so will say they are "described as amber."

Ever since the Bronze Age, amber has been valued for its amuletic properties: its ability to prevent disease, ward off bad luck and give the wearer courage. Amber in its various forms is highly esteemed throughout West Africa. Since genuine amber is scarce, many imitations have been produced from a range of materials including glass, resins, plastics, celluloid, casein, polyester, polystyrene, horn, bone and glass. So-called “African Amber” is typically manufactured from a variety of plastic materials, produced mainly in Germany during the early 20th century for export to West African countries.