My posting was based on research and discussion with a knowledgeable person. I bought some beads like this a few years ago and at that time did extensive research to identify them. When Joan posted her beads for identification, they were very familiar to me. Wanting to be accurate in my posting, I spent a few hours searching again through my books for reference and discussed the beads in several conversations back and forth with Adel Boehm-Mabe respected ex president of the Los Angeles Bead Society. Adel lived in Nepal for two years studying and experiencing the culture. She is very familiar with the beads and jewelry from the North Indian regions. After satisfying myself that the I could accurately identify Joan's beads, I posted the conclusions that Adel and I came to. The beads pictured in the book African Beads, Jewels of a Continent, are the same as Joan's beads and are the same as the beads identified in the book World of Necklaces. They are not the same type of bead shown by John Picard as being from the Congo. I can say with confidence that the beads are from Mizoram and are not African. The authors of African Beads say that they are probably Nigerian which seems to imply some doubt on their part as to their origin It is not my intention to offend anyone by contradicting an opinion but to give the right label to the beads in question.