Fred: do you have any ideas about the age of the 'bat bead' at the beginning of the thread? I also have a few Chinese glass beads, carnelian melon beads of uncertain vintage and a necklace sold as serpentine(Chinese)that looks older. I will take pictures. The bead collector's estate where I got these items also had some Chinese court necklaces, but I didn't get any (what did I know...it was 20 yrs. ago).