Under the microscope, the "black" glass is revealed to be a finely ground mix of bright blue and beer bottle brown. The stripes and dots are "painted on" fused yellow and white powder glass.

I say "painted on" because this powder glass does not resemble the stuff from Ghana? - the colors of the glass are carefully separated, whereas when I look at Ghana? powder glass beads from ten years ago I see lots of mixed colors [e.g., yellow turns out to be a mix of yellow, blue, red, white, green...], with the patterns applied by what looks like sequential layering throughout the bead, not surface application.

So I still think they're Kiffa beads, based upon manufacture technique and what strikes me as a feminine design.

But of course I don't have a letter stating that Fatima in Mauritania made these personally.

[the blue glob in the photo is a ratty old piece of bluetack]