They were probbly made "crude" to compete with African-made beads. Back in the early '80s, Elizabeth Harris had a duece of a time telling the difference between the European and African beads of similar appearance. She actually wrote to Alistair Lamb in England for advice. (I don't think he was much help.) The Venetian beads always have a lampworked core. The African beads do not.

Jamey