It is possible that these or similar beads were made in China via lapidary techniques. At the least, the beads are wheel-cut to provide the surface decoration. The glass itself tends to be much more clear (bubble-free) than the common-variety glasses of many Chinese beads. And the perforations can be smaller than those of many furnace-wound beads, and do not include the typical mandrel-release of furnace-wound beads. (The channels are actually polished, or entirely smooth and transparent.)

Quite a few years ago, I speculated that this type of bead MIGHT actually be Czech (or European), altered/adapted by the Chinese. To me, they look a LOT like the beads made for European chandeliers—of which the Czechs were primary makers.

The question cannot be easily answered.

By the way, Fenstermaker was the publisher of The Chinese Bead. He was not the author. The book is a VERY unreliable source of information. I would never consult it, except as an unfortunate source of misinformation.

Jamey