I wholeheartedly disagree with the statement that "...Chinese beads are like Italian glass of the European expansion...."

To me these Chinese 'craftsmen' are doing nothing but copying established old beads for the purpose of flooding the market with fakes. There is nothing new or important about their bead making as stated in Frank's post. Yes, for the sake of argument the Italians copied the forerunners of their beads but then they took glass bead making into hundreds of different directions. Chevron beads, wedding cake beads, fancy beads, multi-murine beads, etc., etc. The Chinese beads of old had many variations and are unique to the times. This new Chinese stuff is nothing to be excited about IMHO. They are fakes and/or reproductions now and they will still be fakes in 100 years. I would think that the Chinese bead makers of old would be ashamed to be associated with what is being passed of as bead artistry now. Then again on the flip side of this argument: could this be the result of the Chinese culture being under Communist rule? Perhaps free thinking is not allowed but copying true to form is encouraged and by law all that is allowed.

As a contrast look at the Indian bead making over the years. A lot of their beads are pretty far out but they are unique to the times and to their bead making artistry. Even what is trying to be passed off as Venetian on eBay looks similar but they are not exacting replicas of Venetian beads. Just food for thought and again my own humble opinion.