These are opalescent. But I believe that only the large, about one inch, round ones are correctly referred to as "Moon Beads." Isn't this correct?

From my experience at least, moon beads are the beads that are from the African trade and come in a few sizes, small, medium and large, typically round or oval. They are opalescent with a blue cast in the light although I find that the larger sizes sometime look more like the commonly called Dutch clear/white beads, less opalescent than the smaller sizes. They usually cost from $300 to a few thousand based on size and condition. Your beads have the same sort of look, but seem to be more current beads. Let me know if you like to see any photos of the antique moon beads found in Africa. I've coveted these for their wonderful opalescence & buy usually whenever I can find a strand I can afford. Oddly enough, you can find these in "slices", although they are never referred to as moon beads in that shape. Not certain why as they appear to be the same but shaped or cut entirely different & usually quite inexpensive or affordable. Lynne

Dear Lynne,

Knowing what is being said in the market place is very interesting... One of the reasons we need a bead dictionary is that terminology is distorted by hearsay.

Bead researcher Jamey Allen informs that "the moon bead is usually larger than one inch and must be spheroidal.

And the other beads are correctly referred to by the name of the glass: 'girasol' beads."

Sometimes, we have to choose whom to believe.

Just Fred

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=58042&iZz=58042&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=62831&iZz=62831&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

So, all of my so called "moon beads" are supposed to be elongated? I've never heard or read that before, but I definitely do not want to get into a heated debate about this. And they must be larger than 1 inch? I've learned so much from Jamey Allen's incredible expertise & knowledge, but I must express (although a bit timidly as I don't want to elicit any strong reactions) that I'm surprised at this information. So be it, but I will still refer to my beads as Moon beads since I just like the reference. What would the beads below be called?

no MBs shown, if we're to go by the traditional campfire definition.

Wondering what else you can tell me about these beads. What do their holes look like? They seem to have a lot of bubbles, but am I seeing it correctly that there is something else floating inside as well? Perhaps small specks of mica or something similar? If there is indeed mica in there, that could point towards Germany. They used mica in some marbles too. The glass seems a bit too transparant to be of a similar generation as the old moon beads and their disc bead cousins.

At first glance, they appear pretty new to me, but that may be because I have been making beads with very similar Czech glass at the torch myself.