Vintage Berber Moroccan Mediterranean Coral Cornerless Cube Trade Bead Necklace

Description

This is a listing for a rare, circa 1950's Moroccan Berber trade bead necklace.  It is in excellent vintage condition with no damaged or missing beads and a warm aged patina to the hand wrought silver elements.
The beads are mainly coral, all natural, from the Mediterranean.  Very rare, in a saturated dark salmon orange color with a warm natural polish...not enhanced in any way.  The coral is high grade, not pitted, very hard and with no cracked, chipped or broken beads.  The beads show a variety of shapes, done in a  heishi, round and branch cut and each one was carved, drilled and polished by hand.  There are 3 strands, strung on secure beading cord that is flexible with a beautiful liquid drape.   The 3 strands are clinched with a variety of  old and rare hand wrought silver accent beads.  There are 3 silver beads at the base that are referred to as cornerless beads with a beautiful hand wrought shape and patterns stamped and engraved on their surface.  There are 2 bicone lapis beads of note, with a rich saturated royal blue color and polished pyrite matrix.  Tiny hand wrought silver beads act as spacers to more coral heishi and 2 very rare navy blue, white and red layered Venetian chevron beads flanked by more hand wrought silver beads are near the top of the configuration.  3 strands of branch coral and more silver beads finish the necklace.  The clasp is an elaborate silver piece wrought from coiled silver wire and flattened spiral silver beads.  Every detail of this necklace was strung with great care by a gifted bead artist that chose only the very very best in coral, lapis silver and Venetian glass.
The necklace is 20.25 inches long.  The central focal cornerless bead is .5 by 5/8th inches in size.  The lapis beads are approximately 7/8th of an inch long.  The coral heishi and round beads average 4mm across and the branch coral is 10mm..some longer in length.  The necklace weighs a substantial 67 grams.  It will arrive by Priority mail with signature confirmation, insured.  Thank you for looking.