The chain is made of amber from Birma, this is called Birmite. When held against the light you can see with a magnifying glass many small cracks (a feature of Birmite). Again when we hold a bead against the light or using flash photography the beads look more reddish (cherry colour) The colour of Birmite is influenced by temperature, humity, air and age. These beads are probably over 200 years old. Birmite mines were closed between 1936 and 1999, when they reopened again. In Asia and in partiuclar in China there has been a lot of interest in in Birmate.

Notice the small internal cracks in all the amber (birmite) prayer beads
In Islam, prayer beads are referred to as Misbaha (Arabic: مسبحة mas'baha ), Tasbih or Sibha and contain 99 beads, corresponding to the Names of God in Islam. Sometimes only 33 beads are used, in which case one would cycle through them three times. The beads are traditionally used to keep count while saying the prayer known as the "Tasbih of Fatimah", which was a form of prayer offered as a gift by Muhammad to his daughter, which is recited as follows: 33 times "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to God), 33 times "Al-hamdu lilah" (Praise be to God), and 33 times "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest) which equals 99, the number of beads in the misbaha. It is highly recommended to recite this prayer after the daily five ritual prayers. Use of the misbaha to count prayers and recitations is considered an acceptable practice within mainstream Islam.While they are widely used today in Sunni and Shia Islam, adherents of the Ahmadiyya and Salafi sects shun them as an intolerable innovation. According to Mirza Tahir Ahmad of the ahmadiyya community, the use of prayers beads is a form of innovation which was not practised by the early Muslim community. Antique prayer-bead chains made of Birmite are very collectible and valuable. 
The finials that were not included in the necklace, but kept separate. |