East Javanese Beads as Palau Heirlooms
By Peter Francis, Jr.

A rich Palauan heirloom necklace. The crecentric pieces were cut and drilled from glass bangles.

Note the decorated beads toward the top -- they were made in East Java between ca. 600 and 900 AD.

Picture from Palau Pacific Resort: like no other island dream, a brochure put out by Pan Pacific Hotels, Tokyo Hotels International

Palauan dancers, also from the brochure

Continued

The World's Biggest Bead?
By Peter Francis, Jr.

The beadmaker's name is Daniel Silverberg. He doesn't make beads commercially; he does it because he loves the work.

This bead is made of fossil-bearing limestone. It is 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter and averages 9 inches (23 cm) in width.

Atop the bead is a piece of carved California jade. He couldn't find the picture of Clark the cat resting in the hole. . .Continued