Just realized that the same image posted twice. Here is another.
Welcome to the forum! Your beads are very lovely vintage phenolic resin beads, sometimes also called Bakelite, which is just one of the old trade names for phenolic resin (no one can tell if any particular bead was from the Bakelite line of resins). From what I understand, these beads were fabricated in Africa, in the time period 1930's to 1950's.
As far as value, these beads are getting pricey - you can check closed auctions on eBay - but somewhere between $10-25 per bead is not unusual. The larger the bead, the more it will sell for. I saw a recent closed auction for a 36 mm round that went for $44. A nice graduated strand like yours may fetch about $1000. What is the size of the largest bead?
Search "african amber" and "copal amber" - the latter term is completely incorrect since the beads are not copal, but this term unfortunately is used in the antique bead world.
Good luck with your beads! I would keep them, wear them & love them!
I have never seen these sample cards - thanks!
However - the particular rounded disk shapes in this strand, as well as the diamond and rounded shapes with a hole in the cross-direction, have always seemed to me to come from a distinctly different artistic "family". Also the phenolic resin appears to have been from a different manufacturing line, due to the typical swirls of different shades of amber seen in most of them. The beads on the sample cards appear to be very uniform in color and opacity in contrast.
Have you seen the cross-drilled types on sample cards?
From what I understood from previous discussions on BCN, is that these phenolic beads were made in Germany, from large slabs of this plastic. I am sure Carl would be able to tell us more. I believe he also has some of the 'base product'.
I think this is also true. And I believe Carl showed a "slab" at one time.
Comments from Jamey Allen:
Phenolic plastic beads imitating amber can be European-made OR African-made. It is well-documented that the plastic rods were exported to both W. and E. Africa--where they were turned into beads. (Literally, on a turning wheel--like a piece of furniture or wood beads.) The plastic rods vary from translucent to opaque, swirly or not, pale to dark (or both, mixed), crackled or not--and sometimes heat treated or dyed various colors.
