These beads were sourced directly from Egypt in the 1960s. My father purchased them by the kilogram for use in the Shashi and Laurel Burch lines, back when these lines were being featured on the cover of Vogue and such. Beads like this are swept off tomb floors and collected in a dustpan, as the strings that once held the beads together generally proved more fragile than the faience.
Sue McGovern-Huffman (Sands of Time Antiquities) worked with one of our wholesale clients in order to authenticate some of our beads, but I am not sure whether the specific lot sold here was covered.
This product is described as 'mostly intact'. Your photo seems to confirm my description. I mention this in the description because in the last 4000 years, some of the beads have lost the ability to string cleanly.
This product is specifically 9 grams of beads. If you find that amount insufficient for your project, we are happy to supply you with a larger quantity. One of the photos shows what 9 grams of beads look like. Please be advised that the bead sizes vary, and your 9 grams might look a little bigger or smaller than that photo.
We're one of the only sources in the world for these artifacts. It's not difficult to find examples of individual beads on a necklace that retail for over $100, in many cases, I supplied these beads for a price similar to what you paid. Assuming you are not looking for them wholesale by the pound, you are unlikely to find authentic beads at a similar price point.