Thank you Jamey, I am aware of both ‘ colour changing‘ techniques.
What I learned in the past is that ‘stabilizing’ does exactly that: stabilizing the colour ( besides enhancing the colour). What I would like to know is if turquoise or howlite has been dyed/ coloured, can it still change colour by absorbing body oils?
Thank you!
Wish you a great end of year!

Happy Holidays1

Howlite takes a dye very well, but not deeply. A broken specimen is usually white inside. Magnesite, on the other hand is usually blue throughout. And I suppose it may be that a lot of "magnesite" has been crushed to powder, colored, and reconstructed. (The astounding number of variations of "sea-sediment jasper" beads, that are just reconstructed fakes, of several sorts or varieties, has become invasive in the marketplace.)

Whether Howlite is routinely plasticized, I do not know.

However, this: In the 1970s Howlite, dyed blue for "turquoise" and red for "coral," was fairly common. Along came magnesite around twenty (20) years ago—and this was often called "Howlite"--even though Howlite imitations of turquoise were no longer circulating (as they had previously). This is still happening now. And I have to suppose that some authors cannot tell the differences, or don't care, since both fakes are mentioned in expositions. Howlite made a return to the marketplace only a few years ago—and was discussed at that time. (I will show a link in a reply.) So, once again, both imitations are available, and will probably continue to be confused with one-another.

Once a stone has been stabilized it is no longer porous, So the color is stable. The only likely damage would be from radiation--such as leaving it outside in the sun for some months. Other than that, the color is stable, and contaminants such as sweat, oil, perfume, or hairspray, probably will not affect the color.

Since most dyed turquoise has also been stabilized, the colors are more-or-less permanent. Likewise, magnesite, having been stabilized and/or reconstructed, is likewise stable as to color. I have not tested any Howlite to have a hands-on experience. So I cannot say whether the dye or colorant is permanent. Or if it can be destroyed by solvents or whatever else. My practical experience here is very limited. I just recognize Howlite when I see it (most of the time), and since I can tell it's a fake, I haven't considered much more. But when I have an opportunity to acquire some, I will test it.

Cheers, Jamey

The glass beads you show are all recent versions of beads, made in Java. They are not authentic to the region, but have been based upon published beads from elsewhere. There is no history of head pendants in Java. In point of fact, I inadvertently instigated this in 2008, when I circulated copies of my 2007 paper on fake glass beads, to local Javanese beadmakers and sellers.

When I returned to Java in 2010, I found many specimens of head pendants that were clearly based on the photos I provided two years earlier. (However, some of these were "converted" to become "Buddhas.")

Please read my expositions about my 2008 fieldwork, that are posted here.

Part I:
http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=64490&iZz=64490&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

Part II:
http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=64610&iZz=64610&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

If there were any Phoenician-style head pendants in 2008, I would have bought them.

JDA.

Jamie, Thanks for debunking these. Snookered again! I'll stick to coins from this region. There are plenty of modern fakes and creative fantasies of coins and metal charms from Indonesia, but at least I have some hopes of recognizing those. An interesting story, at least, of how a bead researcher inspired new products in an Asian market.

Hi Rachel,

I don't think of Iran as being a glass-producing country, and particularly for the fake antiquities market. The region that is usually named as the origin for all of the glass things found throughout the Middle East and Central Asia is Syria. I don't know why Syria gets pointed out with such frequency, except that it has been an important glassmaking region from the very beginning of glass manufacture. But I know that fakes I think of as being "Syrian" in style are found in, or come out of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as much as anywhere in the Middle East. Plus, lately, because so many Afghan merchants have worked out of Thailand, many of these fakes can be found in the Thai markets as well.

Jamey

August 30, 2022.

As mention a shirt time ago in another message, I have been assured that there is a factory in Afghanistan that is making glass beads, that nominally are intended to be copies of ancient beads. Though, in fact, they share more in-common with fakes that are said to be "Syrian." There are also some Javanese beads that are somewhat similar.

I first saw the Afghan beads at Jatajak Market in Bangkok in 2008. A year before the present post was presented. They were misrepresented as "ancient"—though it was obvious they were new. I wanted to buy a sample collection, but the Afghan seller was asking almost ancient bead prices. (Meaning just too expensive for what they obviously were.) It was several years before I managed to acquire one of these combed beads, at Tucson—also from an Afghan seller.

By the way, "gabri" as an indicator is rather worthless. It is mostly used to indicate multi-colored beads of various unrelated types. And it is usually said that these beads are "ancient"—though many are new. Unfortunately Afghans do not know much about glass beads, and do not classify them in any way. These are all "old" to them. Given the number of Afghani and Pakistani members of my Groups at Facebook, it is my hope that they will take opportunities to learn more about beads—old and new/recent.

JDA.

Hello Mary,

I would have to say you were steered in the wrong direction by a mistaken idea, promoted at eBay and Etsy—which happens constantly, 1000 times daily. Many people who offer beads for sale are likewise neophytes—who pass along a lot of mythology and garbled "information." The Forum is a much better resource—and the archive is searchable. I constantly refer back to it.

I currently moderate five Groups at Facebook. The two most-popular are Beadman - My Stuff, where I show and discuss beads and ornaments from my collections; and Beadman - Your Stuff, where I respond to questions members submit for identification and whatever information that can be provided. If you're on FB please consider joining.

There are two books that that cover all sorts of beads, from many regions of the world. These are The History of Beads (Lois Dubin, 1987 or 2008), and Collectible Beads (Robert Liu, 1995.). I was the primary consultant for both authors (and for both editions of THoB). A third book, Beads of the World, by Peter Francis Jr. (1999) is also useful, though much less inclusive, and with rather poor photos. Many other bead books were composed by people who have limited knowledge and perspective, and who have not studied beads very carefully. Those books are pretty worthless.

Regarding your necklace, after I responded to your post, discussing only the red beads, I actually looked at the structure of the necklace, and realized it was probably Méxican or Guatemalan. Also Guatemala is the northern-most part of Central America, bordering México. Your necklace is a very decent construction, and worthy of having.

Jamey

Hi Jamey!

Thanks so much for the response.

On my 'Delft' bead guess, it was based on only a cursory look at beads I saw available on eBay and Etsy, so I, in all honesty, didn't give it enough thought before posting my question.

It's obvious now, (or is it?), that Delft beads would be ceramic a la Delft tiles. I can imagine how annoying it can be for honest sellers, or anyone who takes bead history seriously, to see all the fakes and misattributions by unknowledgeable or unscrupulous sellers. I experienced this routinely when I was selling Native American jewelry on eBay. The junk I saw passed off as Native American jewelry, or plastic passed off as genuine turquoise, would make me cringe.

At any rate, thanks so much for the book suggestions, I'll try and pick up copies sometime soon.

I'm so glad you like the necklace, I exclusively, and obsessively, collect Guatemalan jewelry and also Mexican milagro necklaces and charms these days. I have a few very, very scarce Ecuadorian crosses as well.

I believe the necklace I posted pictures of was restrung incorrectly so I'll restring it in the proper manner using the appropriate string/cord. I need just a bit more research to decide what I'll use.

You can see how my interest in Guatemalan and Mexican milagro necklace constantly overlaps with the world of bead collecting.

Btw, if you are the seller Beanmanttt on eBay and Etsy, I have bought beads from you before and have loved everything I've gotten, mostly red heart trade beads, which were used in both Guatemalan and the Mexican necklaces I collect. It's better to use coral, but good, untreated coral is just so hard to find these days.

I'll post a pic of the milagro necklace that started my obsessive milagro search. I sold this necklace back in 2006 for 2k and have regretted it ever since. I've been trying to find another that I could afford or re-create one as close t0 it as possible using only antique milagros; they are scarcer than hen's teeth though so it's taken my FOR-EVER, but I'm getting close. I'm having trouble with the file sizes today so it's a small pic.

Unfortunately I don't have a FB account, I'd have to buy another cheap phone to create one as I am less than thrilled with their lack of privacy, etc. Perhaps I'll do it though, I'll mull it over.

Anyway, thanks again Jamey,
Mary

June 2022.

I first encountered these beads in 2008 at Jatajak Market in Bangkok, Thailand. They were being offered as "old beads from Afghanistan."

It was very clear to me that these were frankly new glass beads—but I was very interested to know whether they were made in Afghanistan (which would be news) or if they were actually from Indonesia (which I considered to be possible).

I would have bought some at the time, but they were expensive (being frankly new, and offered with a fake story). I tried to get a local friend to make a deal, and acquire a sample collection for me—but that did not happen.

Eventually, I did buy one at Tucson from an Afghan seller. This price was better, but still high for a new glass bead.

And since that I time I have been in-communication with a gentleman who says he operates the factory in Afghanistan, where new glass and agate beads are being manufactured. The agate beads are alarming—since they are very decent copies of Harappan carnelians from 4,500 years ago. (They are slightly "jazzy" but well-within keeping for that corpus of beads. And I believe I first saw the Afghan carnelians in a private collection some fifteen years ago—ALSO being misrepresented as "ancient.") I had to contemplate all this for a long time. (Years.) Because the copies were sooooo good, it seemed impossible they could be fakes. But, on the other hand, they were presented in matched sets, and looked very "fresh." So now, thanks to my informant, I understand that both glass and agate beads are being skillfully-made in Afghanistan.

JDA.

It looks like quartz or quartzite that may have been heated and quenched then dyed. That cracking pattern is far from typical of jade. Thousands of years of fakes I imagine.

Hi Luann,

Can you describe the inner material?

I recall that there have been a few posts in the past about fakes that were made from some material, painted red. I think one is included in Collectible Beads.

I'll see what I come up with.

[Occasionally the site posts a message twice. When this happens, I usually remove the content, and retitle as "Empty of Content."]

April 28, 2020

This past year, on a trip abroad, I was shown two "ancient Chinese head pendants." I immediately said they were fakes, and that I was familiar with them—and had published several in my Istanbul paper from 2007.

I remarked that these were loosely based on Phoenician Period head beads and pendants, and were made differently—so their authenticity was easily challenged.

He said, "But these are Chinese antiquities, so they need not look like the Mediterranean pieces."

And then he showed me a short published report, by a Chinese archaeologist, purporting to affirm that the two pendants shown (that were nearly identical to the two pieces I was looking at) were indeed ancient and authentic. I took a photo of the report. And also photos of the pendants we were discussing.

Once I returned to the US, I contacted Robert Liu, and told him about this exchange. And said I had seen the person's two head pendants, and the short report. (I knew Robert would be interested, and his connection to the situation was that he supplied me with photos for my Istanbul paper of 2007.)

Robert said, "I know this report." (!) "The Chinese archaeologist is in big trouble in China, for having been duped into writing a report about fake beads, being passed off as authentic antiquities."

(I am paraphrasing all of the above dialogues from my memory. But they present the gist of actual conversations.)

So, from all this, we know: 1) Fake Chinese head pendants that slightly resemble Phoenician Period specimens, are being manufactured and passed-off as Chinese antiquities. 2), A Chinese archaeologist was duped into contributing to the scam—and will suffer professionally for the error. 3) A report exists and is being circulated, that purports to affirm the authenticity of these products—but it is a scam.

Jamey

Hello SI,

It's definitely an interesting seal, and the wear looks as though it may be authentic. But, as with everything, there are many good (as well as bad) fakes out there. Do you have an impression of it? Even although it appears to be heavily worn, it's amazing how the pattern can reveal itself in a rolled-out impression. And that might help with dating.

And are you sure it's actually hematite? I'm asking because I have a hematite seal myself; I couldn't find it this morning, but then I thought I saw it at the back of a box. It turned out actually to be black steatite, which was obvious as soon it was in the palm of my hand. I'm still looking for the hematite one. The most beautiful I've seen was one that I remember Joyce showing here some time ago.

I love hematite; if it wasn't for jade, I think hematite would be my favourite material for beads and small carvings. It's the density, seemingly half-stone, half metal, and the glow, the sheen that it assumes with polishing.

I'll attach a couple of examples. The first is a pendant that, according to Yankee, is probably later Nautifian from West Asia, a stunning 10,000 or so years old. And the second is one that I treasure, a hematite frog amulet, that I've assumed until recently was Babylonian (mid-second millennium BCE). But then I saw a very similarly carved bead in a museum that was said to be Sumerian, so it may possibly be quite a bit earlier than I thought. More work required!

Cheers,

Will

PS There was an interesting discussion about hematite on here about six or seven years ago, in which Yankee showed a number of very helpful examples.

It is always possible to be asked to pay too much for beads. And it is sometimes possible to get a great deal. Both are usually based on ignorance. One person thinks his stuff is "a rare prize." The other thinks it's junk. And often enough it's somewhere in the middle. Mistaken identity is RAMPANT at cyber auctions. I don't "hang out" at Etsy much, but I see a lot of misidentified and overpriced stuff there too. And I see a lot of crap being offered as though it were "art."

I am an educator and consumer advocate. Since 1998 I have been writing to people at eBay, giving them correct information, and advice on pricing structures. Sometimes I have contacted over ten people a day. In the early days of eBay, one could contact potential buyers, and warn them that they were bidding on a pig-in-a-poke. (Sometimes they didn't care!) I have received a lot of static and hostility in-reply. Also some sincere thanks for the assist. This still happens—though I contact people with much less frequency. And I know my efforts are essentially a waste of time, except sometimes interpersonally.

There are some discussions here about pricing and value. They sometimes result in drama and disagreements—so I try to stay out of pricing arguments. But I think it is a truism that everything is more expensive now than it used to be. And a lot of this escalation is based on misinformation and graft. And many people exploit this, and play-into it.

Beads have become "big business" compared to when I started out in the '60s.

I was searching Mezcala, Necklace, Jadeite. Should have known that most ebay sellers have limited knowledge, so searching Pre-Columbian, stone, bead brings up lots of singles and strands where the beads seem to be in $2-$7 range.

As a coin dealer I advise buyers to not worry too much about fake Chinese coins in the under-$10 range, BUT nonetheless take into account a seller's full offerings. It's amazing how cheap a coin can be and still be worth faking, either for contemporary circulation, or for promotional "antique" sets. Where labor costs are low, the fake threshold is also.

Outing fakes on ebay, and trying to get ebay to police fakes are jobs many in the coin hobby have taken on with varying success over the years. For a while ebay was suspending accounts of people who contacted potential buyers to warn of fakes. An ebay discussion group on coin fakes was shut down and had to go to Yahoo Groups. More recently I heard they had granted someone(s) a sort of status as fake spotter and would actively check the things they reported. I've reported fakes to sites (like Trocadero) and platforms (like Liveauctioneers.com) that are havens for sellers who don't know or don't care, just to see what action they take: none. And yes, it's amazing how many dealers - and collectors - don't want to hear about fakes.

Hello Josh, no expert here.

Always helps to have good lighting, and excellent magnification- like a lighted Jeweler's loupe.

If it is a Bead that is Popular and Expensive you know it is most likely Faked a LOT and so be very cautious and skeptical.

People Misrepresent Beads a Lot and Not always on purpose.

I have some of those Beads also- the Resin ones- and they are an affordable alternative for Jewelry Makers that like the Look and the Style.

As you probably know, the Agate/Calcedony dZi beads are being artificially aged and put through some type of roller that produces circular and crescent surface marks. These marks occur naturally when glass and stone beads, or marbles, are hit by another bead or similar and receive surface fractures over time.

Good luck in your Bead Collecting. Luckily there are many Generous and Knowledgable Bead Lovers, Collectors and Researchers in this Forum. I am always learning here, and grateful.

Holiday Best Wishes, and Happy New Year!

Anne

Hi Anne,

happy new year from Berlin and thank you for your response.
I just figured out for myself, that all the fakes on the market are a good way to understand how the beads were made. It is like a reverse engineering process, which leads from time to time in the right direction.
At the same time I think to myself that there must be documents explaining in detail how a "good" fake is made. Wouldn't it be great to have a video documentary of some specialists trying to show how the beads were made?

Cheers, Josh

Sadly this court necklace is new. Made to look old. Fairly cheap in Beijing and Bangkok markets. They do small have Mala s to.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I try not to buy things without being fairly sure of them. Having lived at one time in China for ten years, I know how clever the fakers can be (everything from ancient jade to Bordeaux wine!). Just in the past year, I've seen the copies that are available in Beijing and Bangkok for myself, and yes, they are sometimes quite good, but both the beads and the stringing material on this example show the subtle signs of age and wear that you don't find on the fakes. The same is true of the lacquer box.

The necklace is certainly not recent, because it was in the same collection for many years before it came on the market. And the friends I asked for an opinion about it before I decided to buy it, include one of the most respected curators of Asian art at the Met in NewYork and a couple of people from Sotheby's. None of that is ever foolproof, of course. Fakes can still slip by, but I'd certainly stack it up against someone who has only seen a medium quality pic online before making a sweeping generalization.

Cheers,

Will

I suppose it is futile to criticize this article, as resulting from outdated ideas.

However, I was surprised to see the author has harvested a photo from the Michaan's Auctions catalogue—Naomi Lindstrom Collection, that was perhaps the most impressive opportunity to acquire collector beads since the previous decade or longer.

Here's a shot of the catalogue page, followed by the necklace I made for Ms Lindstrom using these same beads. Due to manipulations committed by someone who claimed to be able to sell these beads, if the necklace could be dismantled, it no longer exists as such. (And that person did not sell a single bead from the group—which was how they came to be offered one by one, or in small groups). JDA.

At least he gave Credit to Naomi Lindstrom Collection under the Photo from the Auction Catalog. I have seen information online and on your FaceBook page about your help with appraising and organizing this Auction, and also mentions of it here and there. To have amassed such a collection on a Flight Attendant's salary is impressive, the scope of which looked Vast for sure! Also I could see that she had a certain stringing style and actually wore and enjoyed her wonderful beads which is all the better.

My friend has a Bhutanese friend, whose family have Dzi heirloom beads. I'm hoping for some photos and information from her and will share it when and if it comes to be.

My friend went on a religious Trek to Tibet and I told him the little I knew about Dzi beads, and warned him of the fakes they artificially age and machine (?) to produce those surface crescent marks - often found on Old glass and some Old stone. He sent photos of the prominent bead stalls in the market place, and bead hawkers in the street selling, with crowds of onlookers. He did buy a new 9 eyed Dzi bead, and was told that even the new beads are Dzi beads so long as they are chalcedony and made in the Old way. He carried his bead on his Kalish Kora, which is supposed to "charge" it.

It is funny to see a Travel Brochure so focused on a bead, and the content is pretty amusing, for sure! No doubt every tourist will have a bead after visiting Bhutan, which is a good thing, so long as they didn't overpay.

EDIT: The Bhutan Dzi bead Travel brochure is Cut and Pasted straight off the internet from multiple sources, with a few changes Z yo Dzi, etc. Not surprised.

I made most or all of them. A curious thing about the Strange Inheritance episode is that there is virtually no mention of my ongoing collaborations with Naomi. I am introduced into the story as a "bead expert" who "helped the family to determine values." I was surprised when I first viewed the program, since I was in-contact with the producers, gave them most of the archival photos used (and many not used)—and my participation in Naomi's life was well understood.

They also did not use a short segment in which I showed Jamie Colby how to tie knots between beads, and briefly discussed authenticity versus faking.

JDA.

Authenticity versus faking often seems boring to people until they fall victim to the fakes. It is possible they thought that section was too technical. My husband would have loved your demonstration of knotting. He loves learning about that and has gotten me into learning it, too.

I suspect these are what is routinely called "sea sediment jasper."

This is a recent Chinese product that has evolved out of the fake-turquoise industry.

As mentioned a few years ago by me, Chinese manufacturers can now take different materials and treat them to become very hard. So hard they seem very stone-like. They even do this to soft non-precious coral (as I demonstrated).

The turquoise fakes are composed from magnesite and reconstructed magnesite, that has been color-enhanced (often just dyed), and hardened. These undergo additional treatments to make them more turquoise-like—including creating "veins" or "matrix," and crackling the material to (supposedly) make the beads seem "old."

In the case of "sea sediment jasper" (as near as I can tell), I believe they are taking reconstructed stone, crushing it to large and small fragments, ** and then reconstructing these pieces by placing them into a melange of reconstructive medium. Then (or somewhere in the process) the resulting material is colored (if it isn't yet, or if additional colors are desired) and it's hardened. Whereupon it has to be exploited like any mineral—being roughed-out, shaped, polished, and drilled. This is something the Chinese excel at performing in mass quantities.

Essentially, this is a strategy someone might come up with in oder to make an imitation of brecciated jasper. So, one could say that "sea sediment jasper" is FAKE BRECCIATED JASPER, that is artificially brecciated, from highly manipulated reconstructed mineral compositions.

The beads seen in replies also look like the "SSJ" beads from China, that are routinely available online. Just a few years ago, we had some dialogues about the fact that Chinese beads are now making their way into West African constructions. This is just another example.

Jamey

Yo Rosanna...here's some photos of my real Amber with some fakes tossed in.
I think the colors on these are very close to real.....
Just thought I'd post some for your ideas.

Hi Jamey, thank you. There is a lot of resemblance. Hope to find more info in the future.

Re-reading your initial post today, I recall the following.

In 2010 I met Walt Seifried at the Bead Conference in Borneo. The first evening, he showed me the beads he had brought with him from Thailand/SE Asia—and these included some amazing and small sculptural beads. They were the same colors as Indo-Pacific beads, and Walt's source was adamant that they were "ancient." I was not so sure. Whenever something entirely different suddenly appears for the first time, it is important to be skeptical (as I have remarked many times)—even when the artifacts are impressive.

Sometime later, Walt told me he came to know that these delicate and well-rendered beads were recent fakes. Disappointing, but not uncommon.

I will try to locate my photos, though I suspect they are on a back-up drive by now.

Jamey

Thanks, Jamey. Yes, the "eyes" are the hole - I'm not sure what the carving is supposed to be! Can you tell me what says "wheel cut" to you? I'm just trying to learn what to look for.

Considering I found it with other new "old" beads I'm not surprised, but usually I can tell what kind of "old" bead the new bead is supposed to be, and this one just seems like an oddball.

Imagine a device that is like a rotating drill. It could be turned by hand, via a belt or bow, manually, with a foot treadle, or an engine.

But, instead of having a drill-bit, it has a head that is much wider than its length, and is therefore disk-like. It is a small "wheel." A typical shape for a cutting-wheel is a convex disk, convex on both sides so the the edge comes to a point and is sharp. This cutting wheel can be used in two different ways.

The larger surface, perpendicular to the rotary handle can be used to carve-out round depressions. (In this aspect it is like "drilling"—except the cut is wide and shallow.)

The edge can be used to carve-out lines—that are consequently "V"-shaped. Where a v-shaped line is abraded, the cut typically begins and ends with a tapering of the cut surface (because of the interface between a convex surface impacting a flat or convex surface). So, these cuts are "boat-shaped." They are lines with tapered or ragged ends.

Let's say that the edge of the disk does not come to a point, but is flat around the circumference. Then, the lines that are abraded would be square-sided (not v-shaped). but the ends of these lines would tend to taper or be ragged.

THIS is what we see when we examine a wheel-cut artifact.

In antiquity, when many intaglio seals were made (in the fashion of Indians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans), the typical design was rendered by cutting round depressions of various sizes, to compose the image. And then sliding cuts were made to connect these circles. The rotary action of this work is very apparent, when we view authentic ancient seals (or artifacts made in this way).

Seals were made to provide beautiful detailed images or scenes. An impression from such a seal is artistically impressive. That is because the makers tested and retested their progress as they went along—refining and detailing whatever the subjects may be.

In contradistinction, recent fakers generally do not use the round rotary abrasion, but instead use the edge of their appliances. They make a stab at creating an images by a series of line cuts. But the results of this work are VERY inauthentic-looking. And, in fact, when we take an impression of the image (using clay or any similar soft material), we will find that the image is CRUDE, and easily seen to be inauthentic.

Allow me to repeat: I am not an expert on seals. My area is beads. But since many seals ARE beads, and because I have some knowledge of lapidary practices, I can make the above generalizations. This does not mean that all ancient seals were never wheel-cut using the edge. It does not mean that all ancient seals are beautifully-rendered. It does not mean that there are no "good fakes"—that were appropriately made. (In fact, in the 19th C. excellent reproductions of seals were manufactured—which is a story unto itself.)

What I am providing are GUIDELINES that are sound generalizations. We should expect exceptions. We should expect ancient seals that were poorly or differently-made. We should expect new fake seals that have been well-made, by someone who understands the technology, and is willing to expend the time to reproduce it. And in the arena of beadmaking, we should expect all of these variables may or will be present in beads. Particularly in the area of ancient-bead-faking.

I hope this is helpful. Jamey

It is certainly possible to make convincing imitations of Méxican green-stone beads—because they tend to be crude constructions. But here are two points to remember:

1) The authentic beads have been fairly common and available over the fifty years I have collected and studied beads. No doubt with periods of fewer or more beads appearing at one time or another.

2) The Guerrero industry that makes "reproductions" of pre-Columbian beads has largely made beads that are "too nice" and refined to appear authentic. The material is more-colorful than are many old beads, the shapes are more even, and the drilling is straight and not biconical. Plus the material is more likely to be serpentine than granitic.

One exception I can think of was when I bought two strands of "pre-Columbian crystal" beads that looked quite authentic. When I got them home, I looked at them more carefully—and was surprised to find they were actually made from glass. (Lapidary-worked and drilled.) But, these were not green-stone beads. After I returned them, I was sorry—because I'd like to have them in my Fakes Collection.

I would also make a judgement based upon what I can see. Whether there are expected signs of great age; and what the material and details look like. One cannot be 100% right all the time. AND, it can be difficult to be too confident from a photo. Which is why I said your beads "look OK," rather than that I am sure they are authentic. JDA.

Just a word of caution - I've bought from TimeLine Auctions before and the beads turned out to be modern copies. They looked good online, but not so much in person. I'm sure they sell some real stuff too, but my sense is they have a lot of fakes mixed in.

Abe

The technical separation between antique and modern Chinese glass beads was a change in manufacture. Late Ming through Ching (or Xing) Dynasty beads were furnace-wound. The more modern beads have included lampworked beads—which was a specialty at Boshan. But the Boshan industry developed too late to have much or any effect upon the Manchu costume. So it is very unlikely that any lampworked Boshan beads would be found in Mandarin necklaces. I have seen them in FAKE Mandarin necklaces, however.

In terms of appearance, it is the lampworked Boshan glass beads that often feature flattened ends, forming a slightly squat oblate. Furnace wound beads can be oblate too, but they lack the tool-marks seen on lampwork beads. Furnace beads, as often as not, can be somewhat pear-shaped, having a rounded lower end and a pointy upper end.

JDA.

I do not agree with Jamey's opinion that "the Boshan industry developed too late to have much or any effect upon the Manchu costume." Over the last 40 years or so, I have examined more than one hundred authentic Mandarin Court Necklaces, since buying and selling antique Chinese beads has been one of my specialties. I have observed that about half of the MCNs I have handled were made of glass beads. And therefore I reached the conclusion that a significant percentage of Mandarin Court Necklaces made during the Ching Dynasty were either made of glass or, at least, included some glass components. Glass was an inexpensive way to fulfill the color requirements indicating rank of the official wearing the necklace, as compared to coral, ivory, or semi-precious stones.

I am also certain that the MCNs with glass beads and components that I examined were not recent fakes. I became familiar with the parts and construction of authentic pieces by taking many of them apart.

Another piece of evidence supporting the use of Boshan glass in MCNs is the use of glass beads for the finials on Mandarin hats. The finials can be studied much more easily than MCNs since they have metal fittings that can be easily examined for their age appropriate construction and patina. Finials were made to coordinate with the necklaces, supporting a conclusion that glass was commonly used for MCNs.

Note: MCNs typically date from 1644 to 1912 (Ching Dynasty). Boshan glass dates from the 14th century, with Boshan glass beads especially coming into use in the 18th century under Qian Long (1736-1796). For more information see: "Chinese Glass Beads: New Evidence", by Peter Francis (www.thebeadsite.com/be02-ch.htm)…link courtesy of Rosanna.

Robert Liu's article: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54a8ea9ae4b0d1cd06f46bba/t/54e524efe4b0bc89fe275d35/1424303343507/Orn36_4_ChineseGlassBeads.pdf

And: http://gotheborg.com/glossary/glass.shtml

I buy reproduction beads for a few reasons.
It helps me understand the market for repros and allows me to educate myself and sometimes others on how then can tell the difference.
Sometimes they can give clues on how the original beads were made (but sometimes also the opposite.....) and what they would have looked like in a new condition.

Finally, the fact that the whole of the history of beads is filled with copies, repros, fakes, etc, makes me think that these new beads are also part of that history and tradition. So many ancient glass beads are made to look like natural materials, many Venetian beads are inspired by ancient glass beads, etc.
The ones being made now are just another chapter.

I value copies and don't like to think of them as fakes but as "tributes"-
Even ancient beadmakers copied the items which were sought after and they loved- so it teaches us more about the history of tastes and customs, as well as often revealing their levels of technical skill, and whom they hoped to trade with.

it gets a bit ridiculous though when you find necklaces of plastic shells that aren't even rare...!
-says something about our civilisation...

I think the answers to this question are fairly self-evident. The Pros are that you get to have and enjoy some of the most-beautiful and well-made beads circulating in recent times. They are impressive products, in their own right(s).

The Cons are that MANY people are delightfully uninformed about reproductions—and have been conned into thinking the beads they have bought are much older, more valuable, and rarer than is the truth (as I have remarked numerous times).

So, the pros are based on impressive esthetics; while the cons are based on misrepresentation and rip-off mentality.

Thankfully, BCN Forum exists to counter misinformation and deception, by informing the reading public that these scams are being perpetrated. And all the while we get to view photographs of great stuff along the way. JDA.

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=%2Fopenforum%2F&tK=java+Beadman&wT=1&yVz=yTz&aO=1&hIz=5000&hJz=4000&cmd=find&by=&xcfgfs=tK-wT-yVz-aO-hKz

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=%2Fopenforum%2F&tK=java+Beadman&wT=1&yVz=yTz&aO=1&hIz=4000&hJz=3000&cmd=find&by=&xcfgfs=tK-wT-yVz-aO-hKz

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=%2Fopenforum%2F&tK=java+Beadman&wT=1&yVz=yTz&aO=1&hIz=3000&hJz=2000&cmd=find&by=&xcfgfs=tK-wT-yVz-aO-hKz

The same thing happened to fine art as well. Some very famous artist trained by copying originals. The more simple the art is the more fakes there are. Picasso is one example.
Therefore....more education was required to be called an expert on any particular artist.
Anything that can be of value is subject to counterfeiting. You can see this with civil war items. even uniform buttons are counterfeited.
This means that as collectors....you need to be sharp.
I see lots of repo's on the market. Most of these are listed as repo's.
And...this is a gr8 way for non-collectors to get the look of old beads.
Mountain men love beads and they can get that Venetian look for way less then if thy bought antique beads.
It's the fools who advertise them as antique or ancient that screw things up.
Many sellers of beads expect the buyers to be able to tell the difference.
The more you know the better off you are....

My site offers hundreds of trade bead strands and singles and I KNOW there's misdescription, nonsense, and a clear demonstration that I'm not among the 50 most knowledgeable bead sellers on the internet. It's not deliberate, though, and I LOVE when someone corrects me - will usually fix it within 24 hours. Being on BCN has helped me, and a couple of present and former posters have been generous in sharing their knowledge with me. Thanks Again!

I want to offer, for what it's worth, moral support for those of you who take the risk of contacting ebay (and other) sellers to point out misdescription and fakes. A hobby without folks like you is like a body without an immune system.

Below are two examples of replicas or fakes if you care to use that description that came from the James Lankton collection. I do not know the source, but they have been around for some time and I am pretty sure they did not come from Indonesia.

These beads are just too rare to judge what is real or not by photography even though the pictures are excellent. I wouldn't touch these with a ten foot glass rod without some serious provenance.

... and in no way comparable to the auction beads. As I said before, I can't see any flaws in them, but like you, Jan, I wouldn't think of bidding without serious provenance. But hey, I'd never be able to afford that, anyway, would I?

However, I'd love to have the chance to touch them (without your ten foot glass rod!). Here (attached) is one I did get to hold last year in the Royal Ontario Museum, but with the little cotton gloves that everyone has to wear nowadays, you seldom get to actually "touch" anything unfortunately. This one is definitely authentic; it was collected for the museum in the 1930s. Interestingly, the devitrification bears a resemblance to the artificial patina that is sometimes said to be a distinguishing mark on a lot of the fakes made in the last 15 or so years in China.

Best,

Will

The ultimate precision and beauty - especially of bead Nr. 1 - is unsurpassed. Not often have I seen such perfection in a glassbead, leave alone lots of COLD-WORKING is involved here!

IMPOSSIBLE they could be fakes or repros!!!

From all unanswered questions on ancient beads, this would be my first one:

"How did you do this, guys? How "the holy ***k" did you do this?"