A Necklace of Jewels represents a turning point in the historiography of Tibetan culture. It was the first book about Tibetan culture written by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu (1938-2018), one of the last great Dzogchen masters and scholars to have received a full, traditional education in Tibet. Inspired by early texts from the Bön tradition that preceded the arrival of Buddhism, he emerged with a history of Tibetan culture that differed considerably from the orthodox version shaped by later Buddhist texts that over emphasize the importance of Indian cultural and religious influences.