These are new or recent reproduction beads from India. They are often sold as coming from Nepal, but I am reasonably sure their origin is India--where there's a long tradition of making these beads.

The beads were made to copy various banded agate beads from antiquity, dating from as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, through modern times—but particularly the so-called "Achaemenid" and "Sargonid" beads from about 500 BCE, that (when they are found in Tibet) are sometimes called "natural zi beads." Many of the actual ancient banded agate beads that these copy come to us from Afghanistan—so the line you were fed is not unexpected.

These new reproduction beads have been around for maybe six or seven years now. One of the primary dealers who usually has them is Kamol, who does a lot of bead shows. Of course, many sellers have them, and some are already misrepresenting them as "ancient" beads, for considerably more than their normal commercial value.

I have a very decent collection of specimens--some of which were seen in my article on Tibetan zi beads for Arts of Asia a few years ago. I have written about these beads at forum sites quite a lot. Plus, I have them in one of my exhibits at The Bead Museum.

Once you've seen them, they are pretty easy to spot.

Sorry you got ripped-off.

Jamey