Etched Cinnabar rounds with inlaid cloisonne "bead caps". 15mm. Pkg of 2 b7-cin238

Carved cinnabar rounds with etching, cloisonne design simulating a bead cap around each hole, 15mm.  These beads are very hard to find. They're becoming extinct because they have been out of production for many years. These beads were exported from China in the 1980s. Pkg of 2.

Please note about Cinnabar beads: Authentic Cinnabar is a deep red mercury sulfide mineral that is stunning but toxic to humans. The production of items made from real Cinnabar ceased over a century ago. Until the mid-1900s, Cinnabar was made from layers of lacquer over wood and then hand-carved, making these items rare and valuable. Since then, most Cinnabar beads have been made from molded resin. In the 1970s to 1990s, hand carving was added to enhance their appearance, but modern beads tend to have shallower molds and lack the same level of detail.

While many bead shops label these as Cinnabar to meet customer demand, it is important to understand that genuine mineral beads are no longer available.