This beautiful one of a kind necklace is made with a carved mammoth ivory netsuke depicting a mother and baby rabbit on one side of the necklace.  The carving is very detailed.  It is 2 1/4” tall by 3/8” wide.  On the other side to balance it is a smaller carved mammoth ivory mother and babe bead and a gorgeous orange and blue hand blown glass bead.  The rest of the beads are 13 mm fire agate beads, a long barrel shaped carnelian bead carved with a dragon, orange carnelian beads, some smaller lamp work beads and a carved bone double rabbit bead.  The necklace is 21 1/2” around and is finished with a large 18k gold vermeil hook clasp.  If you love rabbits you will love this necklace.

The rabbit is symbolic of virtue and longevity.  Those born in the year of the rabbit are intelligent, successful in business and lucky in love.  

The dragon is the imperial emblem of the Emperors in China, especially from the from the Han period where their coat of arms shows two dragons fighting for the fiery pearl.  The dragon is a supernatural creature and is the symbol of power, strength, wisdom and goodness.  It represents the utmost in accomplishment: good luck and a successful life. It is also believed to be the guardian of hidden treasures.  It represents the spirit of growth and change.

Agate is a variety of chalcedony.  It is formed from layers of quartz and many are banded of layers of various colors.   It is the birthstone for September and the  Zodiacal sign of Gemini.  Ancient civilizations believed that wearing agate would make them invisible and would protect them from danger.  In Roman times it was believed that wearing agate as an amulet would also insure a great harvest.  For many years agate was believed to be a healing stone as well as one that would bring prosperity.

At one time only nobility owned carnelian and many times they were buried with this stone.  The most highly prized carnelian is a deep red to red-orange color.

The netsuke is a miniature carving, usually less than two inches high, created by Japanese and Chinese artists for over three hundred years.  They portray every aspect of their life and culture, as well as characters from Japanese folk stories.  These carvings were traditionally used to prevent the cord attached to a gentleman's medicine box or tobacco pouch from slipping through the belt of his kimono.  Today, they are highly collectible works of art.  Traditionally, netsukes have been carved from mammoth and elephant ivory, ebony, fossil walrus tusk, mahogany, rosewood and hippopotamus tooth.  The netsukes, often signed by the artist, are getting harder to find as the detail in each piece takes patience and time and the younger Chinese are not so interested in pursuing this art form. Many of these pieces are displayed in museums and demand high prices at art auctions - from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand depending on the quality of the carving and the artist.

Mammoth Ivory comes from the extinct mammoth elephant that roamed the Earth during the Pliocene era from around 4.8 million to 4,500 years ago. Because they are extinct they are not endangered and therefore, are legal and save the African elephant.  The artisans that carved elephant ivory are now carving mammoth ivory that is recovered in Siberia.