Autumn Fire Asymmetrical Mala Necklace with Ancient and Antique Beads

$345.00
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A rich, warm glow emanates from this unique mala. Made with ancient carnelian and shell, antique coral and carnelian, and baroque pearls. ++Please Note: colors in photos edited for desktop viewing can look too bright on a phone. See my Instagram page at deserttalismans for true colors++

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A rich, warm glow emanates from this unique mala. Made with ancient carnelian and shell, antique coral and carnelian, and baroque pearls. ++Please Note: colors in photos edited for desktop viewing can look too bright on a phone. See my Instagram page at deserttalismans for true colors++

A rich, warm glow emanates from this unique mala. Made with ancient carnelian and shell, antique coral and carnelian, and baroque pearls. ++Please Note: colors in photos edited for desktop viewing can look too bright on a phone. See my Instagram page at deserttalismans for true colors++

:: Autumn Fire Mala ::

++ Hey everyone, just a head-up: I noticed that the photos of this mala look way too bright and orange-y on my phone. These were photos from my DSLR camera which I edit in Photoshop on my desktop. They look great there, but don’t translate well to the phone. The ones I took WITH my phone for Instagram look great, however! ++

This necklace is a rich, warm blend of many wonderful beads, many of which are thousands of years old. I strung it on natural silk in a random pattern, and each bead is unique.

At this time of year I like to get into fiery colors that warm the soul. Here I’ve used many tiny ancient carnelian and banded agate beads in orange, peach and cream. They come from Central Asia and are at least two thousand years old. The smallest are exquisite pillows and tubes made of vivid banded agate from the Bactrian culture, which dates from Roman times. I absolutely love these beads. The shell beads accenting the strand are also Bactrian.

With these are many antique coral beads, most from Asia as well, but a couple are from Morocco. This material is very hard to find nowadays, and I save it only for the special pieces. Ancient walrus ivory from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska was worked in as well: these are the brown button shaped beads. The ivory is dug on the island by the native Yupik tribe, who--unusually--actually own their island home. These beads were shaped from fragments of material. Finishing up the mix are many very baroque pearls which give the piece a soft glow.

In between each bead is an antique amber glass spacer bead.

The guru bead is also antique carnelian and came out of old Tibet. It is at least 300 years old, but may be older, even ancient, but these are very hard to date. Called a “Pema Raka”, these beads were believed to protect from evil spirits and to absorb illnesses, according to Tibetan medicine.

The tassel below is handmade from natural European linen.

For desert spirits and fearless souls…

SIZE: 16 3/4” from the back of the neck to the end of the tassel when worn. The circle of the mala is 27 1/2” long.

CARE: The beads are in good shape, but handle it with gently…they have come a very long way to be with you. Feel free to rinse this mala briefly in cool water to clean. Do not soak or scrub and avoid soap. A gentle fabric detergent can be used on the tassel if needed. Gently blot dry and reshape.

PACKAGING: This mala will arrive giftwrapped in hand-decorated, Earth-friendly packaging, wrapped inside an organic cotton pouch. Please reuse or recycle the wrappings.

SHIPPING: Your talisman will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail. Shipping is always free.