At yard sales ,( frequently) and in flea markets , (sometimes )one can hear : vous savez , c'est de la pāte de verre ! that's glass paste - Finally , these are glass beads , from Europe ( old ) or newly made from Asia . In the mind of some french people , glass is for drink ( drinking glass or bottle ) and glass paste ( pate de verre ) is for artistic artefacts - Nowadays the confusion is maintained , as you say