Hi Rosanna
I don't know if I good understood. You always spoke about amber? I saw amber with metal, it was always to repair a piece because amber or copal is very precious for the peul people, and they fasten the two pieces with a metal clip like on this pic: it's often brass metal or very rarely copper. But, in Africa, I'm never seen amber or copal with a big piece of metal surrounding the bead always for the same reason: amber or copal are a sign of wealth. I have to look at my pics, but I don't remember that.