OK, I should not reach conclusions unless I see it in person. So, a scientist should politely say: "I have to see it in person first."

But, buying antique beads is more like gambling. Especially when it comes to rare items on ebay and elsewhere. I am a buyer -not a bead researcher. So, I must gather clues based upon my experience and decide whether or not to buy as quickly as possible, intuitively…Because -especially when it is a rare beautiful bead- it may sell to a competitor quickly.

Based solely on the photo (I do not trust hearsay): There are pits which often appear in cast copies. It is copper. And copper is soft and develops a patina quickly. There is no patina. Therefore, based upon these clues, I would defer to judgement by my intuition: It is a beautiful FAKE!