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Among the Kalinga, agate and onyx beads are highly valued, with their distinct shapes and sizes determining their specific names. This restrung Kalinga heirloom bead necklace by Patis Tesoro features three types of agate beads: 1) adjongan, 2) impit, and 3) burod.
The adjongan, a white-an-brown banded bead, serves as the centerpiece. The impit beads are smaller, barrel-shaped, and display a two-toned coloration—brown with a whitish base. The burod beads are spherical, heavily banded, and predominantly black (Abellera, 1981). These beads are distributed throughout the necklace and are interwoven with opaque red, yellow, and white beads, creating a balanced composition.
Other notable heirloom beads in this ensemble include the Venetian chevron bead, locally known as paraggi, and the opaque, striped red bead called pinispisao. The adjongan centerpiece is further complemented by kamuntara or kamuntatara beads, which are described as opaque black beads adorned with multicolored or white spots (Abellera 1981, 151). Historically, an adjongan was valued as highly as a large carabao, while the kamuntara held the worth of a large hen.