Berber Composed Necklace of Amber, Silver, and Semiprecious Stones

Fat amber beads studded with turquoise and lapis, each one capped with a silver flower.

This composed necklace of amber, silver and semiprecious stones is Berber, from the High Atlas, Morocco, North Africa, and dates to the 20th century. It is copal amber, silver, turquoise and lapis lazuli. In the High Atlas, amber has long been one of the most valued materials in women's jewelry. The large, rounded beads here are a deep honey yellow, inset with irregular pieces of turquoise and a few blue lapis. Flower-shaped silver caps sit between them. A black cord with sliding knot and two orange end beads finishes the strand. It is 23 inches long.

Weighty, golden and decidedly not for the faint of neck.