Come shop with us at the Bazaar at the Sameda Belly Dancing Faire - La Mesa Community Center, Saturday, August 1!
Come shop with us at the Sameda Faire at the La Mesa Community Center, Saturday, August 1!
New: Make a Wishlist of your Favorite Treasures!
New: Make a Wishlist of your Favorite Treasures!
Our Sturdy and Elegant Sterling Silver Hook and Double Eye Clasps are Back in Stock!
Our Sturdy and Elegant Sterling Silver Clasps are back in stock!
Yay! A free gift with every order!
Yay! A free gift with every order!
Special Grab Bag Strands of Ancient Glass Indo-Pacific - Nila Beads in lovely bright hues.. See photos for examples of available strands — yours will be selected from our range of nila strands.
**Why we love these strands**
Each one is a unique grab bag of colors, sizes and shapes.
Great for use as spacers and accents in all sorts of jewelry designs.
They wear beautifully over time as they absorb the skin's natural oils.
Provenance: Found along the Niger River region of Mali, West Africa, where large quantities of these beads have been recovered from riverbank sites and buried clay pots.
Age: Circa 1200-1600 A.D. Sometimes a few antique but not ancient glass beads are mixed in on a strand.
Dimensions: Strand length 22-24 inches (56-61 cm). Individual beads range 3mm-7mm (0.12-0.28 in), with occasional larger outlier beads.
Condition: Wear commensurate with age, including some chips, cracks, and broken beads.
Bead researcher Robert K. Liu notes in Ornament Magazine that these beads originated in the Middle East between roughly the seventh and twelfth centuries, and spread with the expansion of Islam into North Africa and beyond. They flowed into Sub-Saharan Africa, where they were valued for centuries in the ancient Malian kingdoms as a symbol of status.
If any of the beads seem a bit chalky, try treating a bit of the strand gently with a TINY bit of olive oil (rub a little on your hands and then handle the beads). Natural skin oils also bring out the richness of their color and age.
These humble beads are very special.
More useful reference articles:
https://theconversation.com/how-we-found-the-earliest-glass-production-south-of-the-sahara-and-what-it-means-142059
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gao
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_Empire
African Item 0698
We generally ship orders within 48 hours of time of order. We will contact you with any questions, and settle any issues (address, product specifics, etc) before shipping.
USPS First Class Mail (now also known as Ground Advantage) is FREE for all U.S. orders of $35.00 or more, and is $4.00 for orders of less than $35.00.
USPS First Class International Shipping is now available for $7.50 for orders of less than $99.00 and is FREE for orders of $99.00 or more.
UPS and Priority Shipping Services via USPS are available for an additional fee.
For China and India, and some other regions, we only use UPS, FedEX, or USPS Priority Express Mail International, due to better tracking and reliability of delivery.
Let us know if you have questions regarding shipping - we are here to help.
We will NOT use private shippers, freight forwarders or other private carriers to ship orders.
Note: if your order's shipping cost is less than we've charged you, we will credit you back for the difference, via your payment method.
Sometimes shipments take longer than we'd like for arrival at their destination. Please allow adequate time for arrival and use tracking information as available. Need more help? Email us at help@ritaokrent.com and we will do everything possible to help you locate your parcel.
At the Rita Okrent Collection, we want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. Items purchased from the RitaOkrent.com website in sale-able condition can be returned for a full refund - please contact us within 30 days of receipt of the items in your order to indicate that you will be returning item(s) from your purchase via the method below or via email at help@ritaokrent.com.
We also accept partial and full order cancellations for those orders that have not yet been shipped. Please notify us immediately upon your decision to change or cancel your order so we can accommodate your needs (via email: help@ritaokrent.com).
Customers are responsible for return shipping, with insurance, to the Rita Okrent Collection. Please ship your purchase back to us as soon as possible in order to expedite your refund. Your refund will be processed immediately upon return receipt of your purchase.
Please ship your purchases back to:
Rita Okrent Collection
1585 Hillsmont Drive
El Cajon, California 92020
USA
Excellent quality clasps and the perfect size. My favourite clasps to use in my jewelry designs.
The treasures are as beautiful as the foto you posted.
Thanks!
The items were perfect and beautiful.
Thanks,
Cecilia
Great quality!!!
Love them!!!
These pieces are glowing! They are so beautiful!!! I picture women wearing them in the sun and imagine how they must have gleamed in their hair. The white ornament surely glinted with sunlight! The ornaments must have moved so gracefully in their hair and with the light striking the pieces. I imagine this was an incredible thing to see! I feel like I understand these adornments in ways I never could have, not having seen them in person before.
I truly value the beautiful and unique items I have found at the Rita Okrent Collection. The owner has always been very helpful and kind. I recommend them without hesitation.
Appreciate your kindness and honesty in the way you do business. These beads and all I’ve received from you are top notch. Thank you Denise
Very well made and pretty clasp. Thank you for the free gift.
I was scrolling and came upon an extraordinary, extra-long antique rosary with amazing, large black beads. It was pricey, but I could not resist. When it arrived it was clearly worth every penny. Plus, it is an honor to have something from the Rita Okrent collection, legendary in the bead world. It was packed nicely and shipped fast. I'll be back.
I was so happy to see you had these a gain.They are my favorite. Can not beat the quality.
Really lovely sterling clasps that enhance all my designs.
Beautiful sterling-silver hook & eye set. My second order! Thank you!
These beads are the BOMB! And Rita is a great, responsive seller has a wonderful shop to visit! Love them and can’t wait to get beading! Thank you, again, for a stellar experience!
Really great service and quality items.
