Excavated antique glass beads from Djenne, Mali, the city of Djenne was built upon the vital trans-Saharan trade route that linked the east and west coasts of Africa with its northern Mediterranean coast, this unique position in between the many great powers that would rule the Mediterranean offered Mali exposure to a great variety of goods and cultures, from the east would come Islamic thought and practice, peacefully adopted as early as the 9th century AD, the architectural style would retain its distinct north western African motifs, and by way of the Mediterranean would come glass Venetian beads such as these, as coveted and as beautiful now as the day they sailed across the Adriatic.

Natural blue sapphires in 18K gold charm.