Hi Big Gun,
If you don't mind - I would love to know where you are located, and where your grandfather collected these beads. It would help me (and hopefully others) understand more about this type of ancient bead.
Thank you very much!
Rosanna
Right now I`m in Canada, but my grandfather lived most all his life in USSR and most in Middle Asia: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and etc.