The problem with these names is one of confusion. This is used as a tool by unscrupulous dealers to take unfair advantage of "newer" bead collectors. Some find it a joke while others loose hard earned money on bogus names and stories. I will be the first to admit that I use these names to find certain beads on ebay. I am also the first to point out that what I find is nothing short of criminal!!! The beads with fancy names and stories are misrepresented more than anything! Just do a search for a dZi bead, you will find that possibly as much as 99% of the eBay offered dZi beads are phoney!!! So what good is the name?
I did an eBay search this AM for Lewis and Clark, again I was dismayed!
Venetian Style, Lewis and Clark style etc. very confusing, when you consider the photos don't tell the complete story anyway, as the wiser collectors usually point out: it can be hard to properly ID a bead from a photo alone. So what we as consumers are left with is having to use our judgement when buying these beads. The biggest crooks use sales terms like "guaranteed" or "authentic" or money back etc.....and if anyone thinks they have a recourse, they are mistaken, email me if you want in depth eBay horror stories regarding fraudulent bead sales. Nancy, I mix humour in with my posts, don't mistake it as irritation, your questions are all valid, Lord knows we have all asked similar or the same in past posts. I would like to point out that there are dealers that would use your questions against you in an effort to make some quick sales, just be careful and keep asking the questions. Maybe we can help!
Thomas