Interesting Bead 1 - 30 * 15 mm

This agate bead from Afghanistan features striking concentric patterns and banding that at least in my eyes, resemble a comet or celestial body streaking through space. The swirling browns and creams mimic the gaseous tail and rocky core of a comet, giving it an almost cosmic presence. Its elongated form enhances the sense of motion, as if captured mid-flight across a dark sky. In ancient cultures, especially in Central and South Asia, such beads were often seen as 'from the heavens,' their otherworldly appearance inspiring awe and reverence.
 
 

Interesting Bead 2 - 32 * 14,5 mm

This agate bead displays finely layered bands in shades of cream, beige, and soft brown, flowing across its surface like sedimentary lines in ancient rock formations. The elongated, barrel-like shape accentuates the bead's natural striations, creating a sense of rhythm and movement. Its by time and wear polished surface highlights the delicate contrast between dark and light bands, revealing the slow geological processes that formed it.
 
 

 Interesting Eye Bead 26 -  27,5 * 13 mm

This bead is a striking example of naturally banded agate, skillfully shaped to highlight its internal structure. The concentric layering moves from translucent heat treated black through cream to a vivid orange eye, likely formed around an iron-rich inclusion. Its elongated barrel form enhances the illusion of depth and movement within the stone, giving it an almost cosmic quality - like a comet with a glowing pole. The placement of the eye at the terminal is most probably intentional.
 
 

 


 Interesting Glass Bead 27 -  17 mm

This bead offers a fascinating example of ancient glass artistry imitating nature. At first glance, it resembles banded agate, with concentric white and grey layers that mimic the rhythmic flow of chalcedony formation. However, a closer look reveals telltale signs of glass: the glossy surface, internal bubbles, and the slightly uneven layering. Ancient glassmakers often sought to replicate the beauty of agate, highly prized but not always locally available, by crafting convincing imitations. This bead, with its swirling patterns and naturalistic coloration, reflects both a technical achievement and an aesthetic sensibility: the desire to echo nature’s complexity through human hands and fire.
 
 

Interesting Bead 28 -  17 * 15 mm

This bead from Central India is a striking example of jasper infused with a natural quartz band running vertically across its surface. The rich ochre, rust, and earthy tones give it the appearance of a miniature planet, weathered yet enduring. The quartz band adds contrast and texture, like a river cutting through ancient land. Though the bead features a newly drilled hole, the stone itself bears the marks of deep time: its surface pitted, layered, and partially worn. Likely once part of an ancient adornment, this bead bridges past and present, carrying geological history into the hands of a modern viewer.
 
 

Ancient Iris of the Eagle
Interesting Bead 29 -  29 mm

I have baptized this Persian bead the 'Ancient Iris of the Eagle.' It is a breathtaking example of Sulemani artistry. Its polished surface reveals a dramatic formation: a sharp, eye-like iris framed by flowing agate bands that evoke the fierce gaze of a bird of prey. Enhanced by subtle oil-heat treatment, the contrasts between black, white, and golden hues create a living intensity, as if the stone itself were watching. The play of rainbow light across its surface adds to the sense of mystery.

 

 


Triangular Circles
Interesting Bead 30 -  20 mm

This Persian oil-heat-treated Sulemani ball bead is a true marvel, uniting geology and artistry in a single form. Its surface reveals a striking interplay of orbicular 'eye' patterns alongside sharp, geometric banding, creating a dramatic dialogue between organic flow and deliberate symmetry. The deep black and white contrasts, enhanced through oil heating, give the bead an almost cosmic presence, like a miniature world of stone. Perfectly spherical, with a bold perforation, it exemplifies both technical mastery and symbolic intent.

 

Interesting Bead 31  - 17 mm

This Sulemani-carnelian bead from Pakistan is a mesmerizing study in contrast and pattern. Its surface reveals bold black-and-white geometric banding intersecting with orbicular orange and cream 'eye' formations, giving the impression of a miniature planetary landscape. The complexity arises from the natural structure of the agate, enriched through oil-heat treatment that deepens the black zones and sharpens the surrounding colors. Small iron-rich inclusions add specks of red, further animating the surface.
 
 

Interesting Bead 32 -  21,5 * 12 * 8 mm

 

Interesting Pair of Slender Beads  33 -  30 * 5 / 31 * 6 * 4 mm

This exquisite pair of South Asian elongated, slender agate beads represents a true workmanship challenge, demanding exceptional control during both shaping and drilling. Their long, tapered forms and delicate diameters make them vulnerable to breakage yet here they survive, finely balanced and visually harmonious. The flowing bands of white and deep brown curve organically along the length, emphasizing their elegant proportions. The drilled ends reveal a centered perforation, likely achieved with rotary hand tools and patient precision.

 

Interesting Islamic Bead 34 -  28 * 20,5 mm

This beautifully carved bead, hails from Afghanistan, a region long celebrated for its stone bead craftsmanship. Made from banded agate or chalcedony, the bead features a distinct melon-like ribbed design, carved with precision and symmetry. The creamy white body with faint beige banding reflects natural mineral layers. Viewed from the end, the star-like form emphasizes its ornamental sophistication, likely crafted for elite adornment or ritual use. The clean perforation and wear patterns suggest it was both decorative and functional. Dating from the Islamic or late pre-Islamic period, it embodies a blend of artistry and cultural continuity.
 
 

Interesting Bead 35 -  17 * 15 mm

This carved bead from Afghanistan, likely dating to the late pre-Islamic or early Islamic period, exhibits a fine example of regional agate or chalcedony craftsmanship. The bead's spherical form is adorned with a diagonal, leaf-like carved pattern encircling its surface, offering both tactile and visual appeal. Its warm, partly translucent amber tone and subtle banding suggest high-quality material. The symmetrical carving implies skilled lapidary work, possibly for use in amuletic jewelry or ceremonial strands. With light surface wear, it shows signs of extended use, indicating personal or ritual significance.

 

 
Interesting Bead 36 - 14 * 8 mm mang

This bead presents a minimalist yet compelling aesthetic, defined by a clean horizontal band of cool bluish-grey agate cutting through a warm, creamy quartz body. The contrast between the translucent band and the opaque stone creates a refined visual balance, almost architectural in its precision. The symmetry suggests deliberate selection during bead-making, emphasizing the natural division within the stone.

  

         
Interesting Bead 37 - 17 A   -  32 * 28 * 5 mm  -  17 B 
(Left bead is SOLD)

Displayed below are some incredibly unique seal beads made of high-quality lapis lazuli. The bead to the left features a typical motif from the ancient city of Patan, the Buddhist Wind Horse. As Wikipedia explains, the Wind Horse has been used as a symbol for the human soul in the shamanistic traditions of East Asia and Central Asia. The bead to the right portrays a King conducting a religious sacrificial ritual.


Windhorse from Patan

Backside of the beads
 Click on pictures for larger image

On the reverse side of these remarkable lapis lazuli seal beads from Patan, you can see a Buddhist lotus motif which dates back to the reign of the Malla Kings (pre-1768). I speculate that this motif is typical of the Sakya Newar Buddhist clan from Patan. The Wind Horse motif also points towards the Newar Buddhist culture of Patan, as the Wind Horse statues found in Patan also feature wings, much like the depiction on the bead.

 

Interesting Bead 38 - 23,5 * 18 mm

This agate bead displays a mesmerizing fractal pattern, with a central geometric formation echoing the recursive beauty found throughout nature; like tree rings, river deltas, or crystals. The soft, creamy surface is punctuated by this intricate internal structure, where bands fold into themselves in nested symmetry, forming a natural eye or portal. Such patterns arise over millennia through rhythmic mineral deposition, yet appear almost intentional, as if drawn by a steady hand. The contrast between the bead's organic outer form and its mathematical heart is striking. It demonstrates a perfect union of chaos and order, reminding us that nature is the original artist.
 
 

Interesting Bead 39 - 17,5 * 14 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 40 - 34 * 8 mm

 

Interesting Eye Bead 41 -  41 * 12 mm

Sourced on a market place in Bangkok, this elongated translucent agate bead is a striking blend of geological beauty and human history. Its rhythmic caramel and white banding creates a mesmerizing visual flow, with one side featuring a distinct 'eye' formation: a naturally occurring concentric pattern often seen as protective or spiritually significant. Most remarkable is the soft polish at both ends, a result not of tooling, but of centuries of wear through touch, movement, and use.
 
 

Interesting Tabular Caramel Jasper Bead 42-  25 * 6 mm
 
 

Interesting Glass Bead 43 -  18 * 8,5 mm

This ancient glass bead presents a fascinating ambiguity. The lower motif strongly resembles a trishul, the trident symbol associated with Shiva and widely used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions as a mark of protection and spiritual power. However, the overall composition - with its thick, stylized white strokes on black glass - closely echoes early Islamic Kufic or pseudo-Kufic inscriptions, commonly found on talismanic beads from the 9th to 12th centuries. The forms may not be meant to be read, but rather to invoke sacred or protective presence. Its style suggests a cultural crossroads, where visual languages overlapped, merged, or were deliberately fused. 
 
 

Interesting Bead 44 -  33 * 26 * 8 mm

Very old turquoise from Nepal
 
Ancient turquoise beads are exceptionally rare due to the inherent softness of the stone. With a Mohs hardness of only 5–6, turquoise wears down quickly through daily use, losing its shape, polish, and often disintegrating over centuries. Unlike harder stones such as agate or carnelian, turquoise seldom survives long-term handling or exposure. As a result, intact ancient turquoise beads are almost never found in surface finds or well-worn jewelry. They are typically recovered only in protected environments - such as burial pots, reliquaries, or sealed tombs - where they’ve been shielded from abrasion and the elements. Their survival is the exception, not the rule.
 
 

Interesting Barrel Bead 45 -  30 * 8,5 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 46 -  26 * 14 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 47 -  20 * 15 mm
 
 

Interesting Bicone African Bead 48 -  26,5 * 7,5 mm

This striking bead, though sourced from the Sahel region of Africa, closely resembles the classic bicone beads of the Indus Valley Civilization, not only in form, but in its finely banded aesthetic. The symmetry, tapered ends, and layered striping recall the sophistication of early Indus beadwork, yet several features point to a much later and local African origin. The smaller perforation, for example, deviates from the larger drill holes typical of Indus production, and suggests a different stringing technique or toolset.

The material appears to be a locally sourced silicified siltstone or jasper, possibly formed in sedimentary conditions that produce natural rhythmic banding. It lacks the hardness and polish typical of agate, but possesses a warm, earthen sheen. The reddish hues, coupled with dark iron-rich striations, are consistent with geological formations found in West Africa.
 
What is most compelling is the cultural continuity this bead represents. It may point to a West African artisan tradition that consciously preserved ancient forms, long after the Indus period ended. Whether through lingering trade connections, distant memory, or independent reinvention, this bead is evidence of how powerful and enduring a form can be; surviving across millennia and continents, quietly echoing a vanished world. 


 

Interesting Bicone African Bead 49 -  28 * 15,5 * 13 mm

Same story as before... This bead, crafted in Northwest Africa in an Indus-inspired style, reflects ancient trade echoes and local adaptation. Its soft, triangular form and warm, pale agate body with gentle reddish hues suggest regional craftsmanship influenced by long-distance cultural exchange. Though not from the Indus Valley itself, it embodies the spread of bead-making traditions across continents, reshaped by local hands and materials.

Interesting Bicone African Bead 50 - 20 * 14 mm

As bead 48
  
 

Interesting Bicone African Eye Bead 51 -  20 * 13 mm
 
As bead 48

 

Interesting Bicone African Bead 52  -  22,5 * 12 * 10 mm
 
As bead 48

 

Interesting Bicone African Bead 53 - 28 * 10 mm

As bead 48
  
 

Interesting Bicone African Bead 54 -  27,5 * 14 mm

As bead 48
 
 

Interesting Hexagon Shaped Carnelian Bead 55  -  18 * 10 mm
 
 

Interesting Elongated Hexagon Shaped Jasper Bead 56 -  48,5 * 12,5 mm
 
 

  

Interesting Glass Bead 57  - 11,5 * 11,5 mm

This bead is a finely crafted example of ancient glasswork designed to imitate natural stone. Its rich brown and amber tones, combined with swirling internal patterns, evoke the look of petrified wood or banded agate, but the material is unmistakably glass. The glossy surface, deep translucency, and controlled marbling reflect advanced glass-mixing techniques, likely involving metal oxides for color variation. The precise perforation and cylindrical form suggest intentional design, possibly for high-status adornment or trade. Beads like this demonstrate how ancient artisans manipulated glass not just for utility, but to echo the aesthetic and symbolic value of prized natural materials. 
 
 

Interesting Bead 58 -  16 * 9,5 mm
 
 

Interesting Brown Belly Bead 59 -  15 * 8 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 60 -  23 * 7 mm
 
 

Interesting Tubular Jasper Bead  61 -  25 * 8,5 mm
 
 

Interesting Seal Shaped Bead 62 -  18 * 18 * 9 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 63 -   13,5 * 7 mm
 
 

Interesting Ceramic  Bead 64 - 12 * 5,5 mm
 
 

 
Interesting Bicone Bead 65 -  14 * 8 mm
 
 

Interesting 4 Beads 66 -  Biggest Ball 9 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 67 -  16,5 * 14 mm
 
 

Interesting Large Tabular Bead 68 -   28 * 6 mm

These ancient tabular agate beads are from Haryana, India.
  
 

Interesting Large Tabular Bead 69 -  23 * 5 mm 
 
 

Interesting Vintage Artificial Colored Eye Bead 70 -  30,5 * 11 mm
 
 

Interesting Bead 71 -  30 * 8 mm

At first glance, this bead appears unmistakably gneiss; its speckled greenish-black and white pattern and elongated cylindrical form closely resemble stone beads found across parts of Africa. Yet, intriguingly, it was sourced from Afghanistan, where such lithologies are rare in bead traditions. The polished surface, sharp contrast in mineral inclusions, and neatly drilled perforation suggest careful workmanship and deliberate aesthetic choice. Its presence in Afghanistan raises compelling questions: was this bead traded over long distances, or is it a locally made piece using an unusual imported or misidentified stone? Either way, its visual affinity with African gneiss adds a layer of mystery and cross-cultural curiosity.
 
 

Interesting Eye Bead 72 -  21 * 8 mm
 
 

 
Interesting Bead 73 - 13 * 11,5 mm

This bead stands out for its subtle elegance and striking material contrast. Its smooth, cream-toned body is interrupted by a bold, beautiful, abd glossy patch of deep reddish-brown near the perforation.
 
 

Interesting Bead 74 - 23 * 15,5 * 4 mm

This carnelian bead, sourced from Iran and measuring 23 × 15.5 × 4 mm, presents an intriguing interplay between form and inscription. The bead itself shows signs of considerable age - soft wear, smoothed edges, and a rich patina - suggesting long-term use or burial. However, the engraved pattern of intersecting lines appears slightly fresher, as if added at a later stage in its life. Still, the engraving bears the marks of age as well: weathered grooves, mineral deposits, and no sign of recent tool marks. This suggests a layered history; perhaps a reused bead, given new meaning or function in a different cultural context.
 
 

Interesting Idar Oberstein Bead 75 -  24 * 10 mm

This bead, sourced in Marrakech, is a distinctive example of Idar-Oberstein production, notable for its rectangular form featuring four flat square facets, with the edges skillfully rounded and polished. Unlike the more common cylindrical types, this geometric style reflects the versatility and precision of Idar-Oberstein's 19th to early 20th-century bead cutting techniques.

Idar-Oberstein, a German town nestled in the Hunsrück region, became a global center for gemstone processing in the 1800s. When local agate sources ran dry, cutters began importing rough stones; especially agate and carnelian from Brazil. Leveraging water-powered and later steam-driven machinery, they mass-produced beads with highly uniform shapes, sharp facets, and consistent polish. This mechanized approach allowed them to imitate or reinterpret bead forms from antiquity and faraway cultures.

Beads like this one were widely exported via European trade networks into Africa, India, and beyond. In North Africa, including Morocco, they entered through trans-Saharan routes and Mediterranean trade, where they were prized for their durability and vibrant color. The crisp geometry of this bead, paired with its softened, rounded corners, illustrates the unique blend of industrial precision and aesthetic refinement that defined Idar-Oberstein's contribution to global bead history.
 
 
 

 
Interesting Hexagon Carnelian Bead 76 - 39 * 17 mm

This large hexagon carnelian bead displays characteristics pointing strongly to a 17th-century origin, likely from Khambhat (Cambay), India, a historic bead-making center. While its hexagonal, faceted shape initially suggests a possible 19th-century Idar-Oberstein production, two critical features contradict this attribution.

First, the perforation is highly uneven, with one end significantly wider than the other. This asymmetry is typical of hand-drilling with bow drills and abrasives, a method used in Khambhat but not in Idar-Oberstein, which employed mechanized, symmetrical drilling by the mid-1800s.
 
Second, the heavy wear around the drill hole: with deep erosion, cratering, and internal striation, indicates long-term use, well beyond 150 years. The rounded facet edges, surface pitting, and polish variations support centuries of wear, consistent with beads traded and worn across West Africa, East Africa, and Nagaland during the 17th–18th centuries.
 
Taken together, the bead’s material, faceted shape, hand-drilled perforation, and extensive wear patterns strongly suggest it was crafted in Khambhat from locally sourced carnelian in the 1600s. (The stone is clearly not Brazilian carnelian.) This makes it a valuable artifact of early Indo-African or Indo-Naga trade networks.
 
I sourced this bead in North India, which may suggest it was once en route to Nagaland, a region with a long tradition of valuing such carnelian beads. It’s possible the bead was intercepted along its journey, perhaps by someone who found its form and color particularly captivating, and chose to keep it - altering its path, but preserving its presence.
 

 

 
Septagon Shaped  -  14 * 11,5 mm - side & top

 
Hexagon Shaped  -  11,5/12 * 9 mm

Interesting Lot of 3 Facetted Beads 77
 
 

 Interesting Bead  78 -  26 * 17 mm

Ancient red jasper bead with crystal banding
Displayed above you can enjoy the color play in a wonderful deep red ancient jasper bead with two crystalline bands.
*
 

 
Interesting Bead 79 - average size 7* 2 mm

Ancient Jasper Disk beads

 

Interesting Bead 80  - left: cornerless cube 10,5 * 10,5 mm

 

Interesting Jasper Bead  81A - 31 * 27,5 * 11 mm

 

 



Interesting Jasper Bead  81B - 16 * 10 mm

 

Interesting Cornerless Cube Jasper Bead  81C -  13,5 * 13 mm

 

Interesting Jasper Cornerless Cube Bead  81D - 14 * 10,5 mm


 

Interesting  Jasper Bead  81E -  38 * 11,5 mm

 

Interesting Jasper Bead  81F - 21 * 11 mm

 

 Interesting Jasper Bead  81G - 22,5 * 10,5 mm

 

Interesting Tubular Beads 82 - 13 * 5 mm average

These cylindrical beads, sourced from Thailand, appear to be made from a variety of jasper, possibly fossiliferous or dendritic jasper, given the black branch-like inclusions in several of them. Jasper is an opaque form of microcrystalline quartz, known for its earthy tones and rich patterning. The warm palette—ranging from pale cream and ochre to burnt orange - along with the smooth, high-gloss polish, supports this identification. Jasper is relatively hard (Mohs 6.5–7) and takes a good polish, making it ideal for durable beadwork.
 
 

 
Interesting Bead 83  - 39 * 20 * 9 mm - I call this bead The Cheetah


 

 
Ancient Jet Stone Beads

Interesting Bead 84  -  26 * 16 mm (big piece)
 Jet Stone Beads
Period: Indus Culture 3000 - 1500 BC
Origin: Afghanistan 
 

Interesting Pair of Jet Stone Qubic Bicone Beads 85 - 16 * 10 / 17 * 11 mm

 
The Akbar bead

Interesting Bead 86 -  37 * 27 * 3 mm 

The striking lapis lazuli pendant bead showcased below is not ancient in the strictest sense, but carries a significant historical lineage, dating back approximately 3-400 years. The pendant is shaped in a style made famous during the 16th century by the legendary Mughal Emperor Akbar, who issued coins in this distinctive form.

Over the years, this unique shape has become synonymous with Akbar's prestigious rule, embodying the majesty and grandeur of his reign. Emperor Akbar, along with the Buddhist King Ashoka, is considered one of the greatest monarchs in the annals of Indian history.

This lapis lazuli pendant, despite its relative youth compared to other ancient beads, is a testament to the rich cultural and historical legacy of India. Crafted from the vivid blue mineral, lapis lazuli, a stone long revered for its intense color and associated with royalty and wisdom, the bead serves as a beautiful homage to the epoch of Emperor Akbar, capturing a slice of the Mughal era's aesthetic charm.

 

Interesting Beads  86 A -

Click on picture for larger image
Ancient lapis lazuli beads from Afghanistan are among the most prized and storied gemstones of antiquity. Mined primarily from the legendary Badakhshan region, these vivid blue stones - often flecked with golden pyrite and soft white calcite - were traded across the ancient world for over 6,000 years. Valued not just for their striking color but for their symbolic and spiritual significance, lapis beads were worn by Sumerian priest-kings, Egyptian pharaohs, and Indus Valley elites. Despite their relative softness (Mohs hardness 5–5.5), many early beads survive due to careful craftsmanship and burial in protected contexts. Afghan lapis was often carved into amulets, beads, or inlays and exported via long-distance trade routes stretching to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and beyond. The material’s deep blue, likened to the night sky or the divine, made it a favored medium for expressing sacred and royal power.
 

 

 
Interesting Bead  86 B -   20 * 6 mm
A rare double ax bead in lapis lazuli

 

Interesting Bead 86 C -   30 * 14 * 10 mm
Convex Bicone shaped bead
 

Interesting Bead 87 -  19 * 7 mm

 

A discreet Indus jasper bead, quiet in tone yet rich in presence. Its surface carries a soft, even polish earned by long wear:an oil-sheen that only skin and time can make. No loud color proclamation here; instead, mottled browns and stone greys that read like weathered earth. Around the perforation, the rounded lip and gentle bevel show where cords once moved, tightened, and finally gave way: strings that surrendered but left their story in stone. The tapered barrel is balanced and tactile, meant for daily use rather than display. It feels like a whisper from ordinary lives: markets, household work, quiet rituals. A small survivor that holds the patina of generations and the dignity of the everyday.

Interesting Bead 88 - 38 * 10 mm

 

Interesting Bead 89 - 58 * 9 mm
 


Interesting Bead  90 -  55 * 10 mm


 
Interesting Bead 91 - 40 * 11 mm




Interesting Bead 92 -  35 * 10 mm

 

Interesting Bead 93 - 34 * 9 mm




Interesting Bead 94 - 33 * 10 mm




Interesting Bead 95 - 33 * 8 mm



Interesting Bead 96 - 31 * 13 mm




 Interesting Bead 97 - 27 * 11 mm




 Interesting Bead 98 - 26 * 8 mm 

The long, slender beads displayed here fascinate with both their elegant form and their luminous agate material. Originating from Eastern Asia, they reflect a distinct cultural lineage, woven into their smooth, tapering contours.

Though their elongated shape may recall the carnelian beads of the Indus Valley Civilization, these specimens likely belong to a different time and tradition. Their proportions and style set them apart, pointing toward an independent bead-making practice.

Most scholars attribute them to the Thai-Cambodian border region, where they are known as Ta phraya beads, prized for their graceful simplicity and regional character.

 

Kalinga Heirloom
 

Old Sri Lankan Beads