A GROUP OF 51 CENTRAL ASIA ROCK CRYSTAL (QUARTZ) BEADS. Bactria, ca. 2000-1000 BCE Min. L. 5 mm / Max. L. 30 mm circa Provenance Formerly with, Saskia Wessel, 05.01.1984 Hand-cut and drilled, each bead is carved into tubular, barrel, or rounded biconical shapes, and polished to a smooth finish (some facetted a posteriori). The ancient crystalline stones possess a natural beauty, characterized by varying levels of translucency. Most of them display biconically drilled perforations visible on the inside. Their glass-like appearance captivated ancient civilizations, shrouded in mystery and fascination. Interestingly, Pliny the Elder believed that quartz was actually fossilized ice, eternally frozen into stone—a belief that endured well into the 17th century.