As I recall, in the late '80s/early '90s, someone was having copies of "Russian" beads made in México. When the people behind this project realized their beads were going to be misrepresented as "old trade beads," they continued production, but decided the interior base layers would always colorless/clear, to make the beads distinctive.

I think it's possible you have some of their "first edition" beads.

At The Bead Museum in Prescott, AZ, Gabrielle Liese had a nice selection of these beads, framed on the wall of the Museum's storage area. I think I have a photo of this in my archive. But these would have been the second generation beads (if my memory serves).

This would be my best guess.

I also saw a large collection of these Mexican "Russian" beads (and others) in a private collection in the Seattle area. At first I thought this was a seriously good collection—until I noticed the clear bases. I don't recall whether I was able to shoot any of these beads. I was shown them by a friend, who was helping the owner with identifications.

By the way, I also have two really ugly "chevron beads," also made in México, that I received from Michael Heidi. I don't know if these are from the same glassworkers, or another company. They do not copy any Venetian or conventional chevron beads. They are a great departure from the originals.

Be well. Jamey

Thanks,
Matt

I'll try to remember to shoot these beads the next time I drag out the rosetta beads. However, these are sooooooo different from any conventional chevron beads, the comparison is a stretch. I have one large ellipsoidal bead, and a piece of cane that is like a disk bead.

Be well. Jamey

The Heide beads are 7-sided, but otherwise correspond well with the calcification and layered glass colors displayed by the 8-sided beads.

Re-inspecting the 8-sided beads with a loupe and penlight, a couple of them display an outside layer of the opaque "Dutch"/"Copen"/cornflower blue, a highly unusual occurrence, I think.

I'm familiar with the Mexican beads, there is no way the 8-sided multi-layered beads are from that production. Their comparatively less skilled cane drawing, and their calcification, seems more likely to possibly fit them into the category of the mysterious "loquis" beads used in the slave trade, of which I suspect the Heide beads may also be an example.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxV1r8SUXxUwTmROeXpieER4UW8/view

https://surface.syr.edu/beads/vol1/iss1/

By the way, how did you happen to acquire a strand of "Russian" beads from the Summerfield Collection?

JDA.

I'd still like to know more about the "loquis" beads cited by the Oppers in their article on the Diakhite burial beads.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxV1r8SUXxUwTmROeXpieER4UW8/view

The Heidi beads incorporate a transparent blue as well as the "Dutch" blue layers, and have more casual faceting just on the ends.
The appearance of similar beads not only in Ghana but Diakhite, Senegal and the Netherlands Antilles still seems to be something worth considering with respect to the use of these beads in the slave trade.

http://www.picardbeads.com/exhibit11/exhibit/exru87.html