These are beads found in Java and Sumatra and are from the Early Classical Period, 750 - 1000 AD. They are considered to be Indo-Pacific beads. The colors are usually several shades of blue, green, yellow and an opaque brick red. The opaque red color is the most prevalent color found, the blue the rarest. The blue beads in this necklace are in shades of turquoise and aqua colors and were highly prized.
The original Indo-Pacific bead-making techniques from Arikamedu, India, 1st Century BC, eventually were transferred to Funan, the first state in South East Asia, and then in 8th through 12th Century to the Srivijaya kingdom in South Sumatra. According to Peter Francis, by the time the Sailendra dynasty fell and the capital was moved to Jambi, Indo-Pacific beadmaking had disappeared in Southeast Asia.
