Not my area, really, but I do have some. These are possibly from Japan, 1950s - 60s…would like more opinions.

These beads look very new to me. I have to wonder whether they might be new Chinese beads (?). It has been eleven years since the Chinese acquired equipment to manufacture their new versions of Czech glass beads. Plus, foil beads are usually not faceted—though other Czech beads are—and faceting equipment was certainly acquired by the Chinese.

I suppose this may be a primary reason that SO MANY new Chinese faceted beads are being produced, in both glass and agate.

JDA.

I would call them foil crumb beads. They seem very popular with buyers. Long necklaces of these bid at auction up to hundreds of dollars (all foil beads, no filler). Fragility is an issue. I don't know bead origin, but the bead caps are unlike the ones I know from Czech or Venetian necklaces. Bar separators are sometimes found on Czech necklaces though.

-Robin Towne