The repro beads from the late 1980s-early '90s look very similar to vintage 1920s pumtek beads, EXCEPT they are duller, more ashen, and less shiny. Older pumtek beads are a warm brown, and because they have been used have become polished (or were made that way).

Because the repro beads were made by the same folks, the material and techniques are very similar to to previous generation of products. I can tell them apart on-sight, but this can be challenging from a photograph.

By the early 21st C., new pumtek bead had become remarkable for their diversity (new shapes and designs, old rare shapes reintroduced), and for their technique—these beads usually being dark with high-contrast, well-formed, and fairly highly polished. If anything, they are nicer than the vintage beads from the '20s.

JDA.