Featured Some delightful ethnic finds

So, these are a few of my favorite pieces I've collected these last couple years.

I bought the hamsa, which is marked for Morrocan silver, at a French antique store for 10 euros a couple years ago. The small chips tested as diamonds, but they're very thin and small, according to the jeweler I took them to. I believe the gold overlay tested as 10kt, but since it's backed with silver, the gold value was considered nominal. From the star-and-crescent, clearly made for the Islamic market, I presume. Love the little seed pearls.

I think the prayer beads are amber. They became opaque under a black light. I bought them at a Greek flea market for 5 euros I think, so wasn't expecting much, but still not sure. One is chipped, and the chip shows a fine crystalline makeup. Still one of my favorite pieces to wear, since it's long enough to be a necklace.

I think the bracelet is either from Turkmekistan or Kazakhstan, just not familiar enough with the different styles to fully pin it. Definitely looks central Asian or Caucasian to me, but unsure. Thoughts? No hallmarks, stones look like carnelian but might be glass. Looks gold-washed.

 

Nice Picking !!!
@Any Jewelry ...............

 

The beads are worry beads, or kolomboi to use an eastern Mediterranean name for them. Those are often faturan or some sort of composite amber or copal. They might be real. I bet @Ownedbybear would know where the bracelet comes from, if she still lurks. She hasn't been in for a long time.

 

Oof, I don't know why I called them prayer beads in my post--I'm used to seeing them described as prayer beads or tesbih online, and wasn't thinking in the moment, 'Oh, they're Greek, so kolomboi' lol. But I'm half-Greek and collect kolomboi.

They're very big and hefty. One has a chip on it, and the inner material seems crystalline and slightly grainy.

I'll post photos of my kolomboi collection soon. And other jewelry I've collected.

 

Beautiful, and a real bargain. You say it has Moroccan marks, which I wouldn't expect on a piece like this. Early marks or post-colonial? Could you show us?

This elaborate gem-studded style with pearls is called Chichkhan or Sheeshkhan. Chichkhan style jewellery was generally made in the late 19th century by Maltese and Italian goldsmiths in Tunisia. So I wonder when Moroccans began to make this.

Yes, these beauties are set with senaille cut diamonds, basically facet-cut chips. Senailles can have up to five facets, if I remember correctly. Many have three.

It was made for the local market. The old ones have rare Basra pearls.

 

I agree, it looks like pressed amber. The crystalline break is not very amber-like though, could you show us a photo?
Worth a lot more than €5.

Classic Tekke Turkmen bilezik or cuff bracelet, partially gold-washed silver. Probably set with carnelians, but could be glass. These were worn in pairs.

The Turkmen tribes are spread over parts of Western and Central Asia, so you can find them in several countries, not just Turkmenistan.

 

I was going off memory and took another look at the hallmarks--there's one in a small circle, and another in a diamond shape, but I can't make out any of the details under the loupe. I don't know why I thought Morrocan--I think I got it mixed up in my head. I'm not sure what they are.

Love these details! I would have no idea about any of this.

I'll take more pics later today.

 

It is not a well-known style, even to collectors of ethnic jewellery. I have two chichckhan hamsas, one more stylised and one more like an actual hand with loose bangles around the wrist. I was lucky to have a Tunisian jewellery specialist explain the style.

This is the more stylised one, which I posted before (and love). White and yellow gold, set with senaille cut diamonds, black sapphires and Basra pearl dangles:

 

Gorgeous!! Do you think the pearls on mine are Basra? (I would've never imagined they were rare; I thought they were simple freshwater baroque pearls)

 

Difficult to say, the photo is small.
Shape-wise yours could be, but shape is not the most important factor. Basras have a special 'depth' of sheen, different from other pearls.
Basra pearls are no longer found, so you can only find them on antique jewellery or repurposed from antique jewellery. Even when they were still found they were extremely valuable. The hamsa I posted is all gold, dates from ca 1910 and it has Basra pearls. My other chichkhan hamsa is silver and gold, it has natural pearls but no Basras.
If your hamsa is a Moroccan replica, I would say the pearls can't be Basra. So another reason to post the marks. And a closeup of the pearls please.

 

Yah..... what she said !!!

 

I've never seen a Basra pearl either. My guess is few if any made it to the USA, and if seen now they'd be mistaken for freshwaters. I'd say the same for Tennessee River pearls too. They're also rare now, and they would likely be mistaken for stick pearls if one popped up.