Your explanation was interesting and instructive and right on the money! I believe that you are fast becoming a kiffa expert!!! Your advantage is that you own many exemples of kiffas which puts you in the position to study them and make comparisons!!! The older, almost, perfect kiffa, is quite rare!!! You can examine quite a few strands before you find that one bead that knocks you out because of its fine details and intricate designs!! You know that this bead was made by a master bead maker!! To really appreciate a bead like this , one must remember under what conditions it was made!!. In the desert, using the crudest tools. It is flabbergasting to know that these Mauritanian women can make such fine, straight lines! I admire thier skill so much! Here is an exemple of a fine kiffa. The picture does not do this bead justice! I've examined it in every way and it is wonderful!!! I would like to make a side comment about strands of kiffas! I own a strand that one forumite said is not strung in the typical way!!!!!! Many apparently do not know that kiffa strands that appear on the market are actually strung by African traders! My Mauritanian women friends DO NOT KEEP THEIR KIFFA ON A STRING!!! Each are individually hidden away and shown to very few non-Mauritanians!!!So, when you speak of what is typical or not, you should base your opinion on the number of strands of kiffa that you have seen that were actually put together by Mauritanian women!!!!!