These beads from agate are a good example for globalisation. They were produced in the German town of Idar-Oberstein. Agate has been mined there for many centuries. For this reason the area is home to many agate polishers, who since the 18th century also supplied the African market. In the late 18th century, however, the stone became more and more difficult to find in the region. Hence it was a lucky coincidence that emigrants from Idar-Oberstein discovered huge deposits of agate in Brazil in the early 19th century. In 1839, the first shipment of Brazilian agate reached the old home country. There it was processed and the beads were traded to Africa.