I've been surprised lately about the wider variety of "Roman glass" beads available. I know the originals that were initially offered a few years ago are actually broken glass shards from the midden heaps of ancient glass factories along the Silk Road, reworked into usable fragments. I love them, and have a line of jewelry I make with them.

Recently, I'm seeing more 'refined' shapes and finishes. The colors look the same, and sometimes there's still some crusty patina, but not much.

Are these still made from the original broken bits? Or are they new glass beads? The prices are sorta hefty......

Any insights would be much appreciated!