Rainbow Glass Snake Bead Earrings with Sterling Silver by Kate Drew-Wilkinson

I have been collecting these intriguing beads for decades. They are now being reproduced again but the old ones are becoming rare and special, particularly in certain colors. They are relatively easy to find in Turquoise and Coral, but making any kind of rainbow involves a lot of searching. The early ones I bought were sometimes caked in pig fat and ochre! This means they had been extensively worn and danced in, in West Africa. Many of the old ones are over 100 years old. Many are damaged, so I carefully select uncracked ones for my jewelery. These earrings are made with Sterling Silver. For more info on these beads, http://www.africanbeads.org/snake-beads/