Current Bead Tales: Just click on the one you want to read
1.) Genuine Imitation Amber
2.) All I want is an antique beaded bag
3.) Madam Butterflys Beads

 Story as told by Paul Harvey on "The Rest of the Story" and Cynthia Rutledge.

Genuine Imitation Amber

A young couple from the Midwest decided to spend their honeymoon in California. They enjoyed the weather and walking along the boardwalks with all of the small shops. In one of the shops they found a case with a sign saying "Genuine Imitation" next to a display of beautiful necklaces. The wife looked through the selection and found one that she really loved. It was a bit pricey, but the husband wanted to buy his bride a memento of the honeymoon trip so they left the store with an amber colored necklace of carved beads.

The necklace was a favorite and she wore it on many occasions, always thinking of their honeymoon when she did. After 20+ years the necklace finally broke. She took it to her local jeweler to ask if he could restring it for her. He said that it should not be a problem and took out his loop to look at the beads. While still examining the necklace he asked if she would be willing to sell it and offered her $1,000 for it. She very indignantly said "No - it was a gift from my husband, and anyway why would you pay $1,000 for imitation beads?" The jeweler did not answer her question, but did restring the necklace as she requested.

When she returned home, her husband was just as surprised as she was at the jewelers' offer. He was planning a business trip to New York City and told his wife that he would take the necklace along and if he had time he would stop at one of the famous jewelry stores there and see if they would appraise it for him. He did get time to stop at a jewelry store while he was in New York and they did agree to look at the necklace for him. The jeweler promptly asked him if he wanted to sell the piece and offered him $3,000 for it. The husband said, "Please tell me what is going on, why would someone offer us $1,000 and then $3,000 for a necklace made up of genuine imitation beads? I do not understand" To which the jeweler replied "You have never looked at these beads with a loop, have you?"

"Of course not, why would we?" replied the husband. The jeweler then went on to explain that the beads were actually carved amber, not imitation anything, and that each of the beads was inscribed: To Josephine from Napoleon 18xx.