The trader Funky Frog bought these beads from called the African Amber Beads …

Baltic Amber, a fossilized tree resin, has been prized and coveted for its colour and natural beauty since ancient times. Because this amber is relatively rare and therefore expensive, there have been many attempts to replace it with other natural and synthetic resins. Research by Angela Fisher (author of Africa Adorned) and others suggests that very little African “amber” is ‘true’ amber. Most is probably made in Europe and carved in Africa. Some may be Copal resin (young tree resin) that is formed into beads, some may be a blend of natural and manmade resins, and some may be made from phenolic plastic. Horn that is a meat byproduct has also been called African amber. And these ebony wood beads were sold to me as African 'Amber' Beads which is why i have kept them in the African Amber catagory … but they are also in the Ebony Wood Beads catagory too!!

Funky Frog loves all the various kinds of ‘African Amber’ beads for their own intrinsic beauty and worth. And these beads are quite gorgeous!

Each strand has 22 gemetric black beads strung on string 30″ long. Each bead is 24x34mm. They are quite dramatic.