Thanks for your sage advice. I lived in China and Hong Kong for ten years, so I certainly know what you're talking about. My own primary expertise is in early Chinese ceramics up to the end of the Song dynasty - I collect them myself and also supply them to several university and institutional collections - and there are some kiln wares (especially Yueyao and Junyao) that I won't even touch any longer without very sure provenance, because the best fakes have gotten so good. There's nothing new about that: Avery Brundage's world-class collection of jade contained many items that were subsequently recognised to be later copies, and Zhang Daqian, the greatest Chinese painter of the twentieth century was also acknowledged to be the foremost forger of his day!

Just this year when I was staying in Shanghai, I had dinner with an anxious French wine expert who was investigating the production of fake grand cru wines. The bottles, labels, corks were all absolutely perfect, but the wine tasted like the so-called "chianti" that I used to binge on as a kid (does anyone remember those lovely raffia protective baskets?).

I don't think these beads, however, even if they are Chinese, are fakes. I still have doubts about the "coral" but they passed your tests. All that came off with acetone was lots of dirt, and all that got burned was my thumb. I wouldn't last long in Art's workshop, I fear!

All the best,

Will