The Carved Imperial Jadeite & Diamond Necklace is fashioned with sixty-five pierced beads, with splashes of gorgeous emerald green color. There are 18K gold and diamond roundels between every five beads. The pierced beads range from 10mm to 14mm in diameter. This style of necklace was a Qing Dynasty cultural icon. The beads are very likely to be from a Mandarin Court Necklace, which was patterned after a string of Tibetan prayer beads. It was made from Jadeite material discovered in Burma, which then had to be brought to China for carving. The lack of electric tools at the time meant that each bead took a week to carve. The entire necklace required nearly a year to complete. Due to the nature of this very expensive process, only the wealthiest of people have had the luxury of possessing it. Length: 33” 19th c. "Type A" Natural Material.
