These beads are new Chinese crystal. They have an amazing deep blue color that you could lose yourself in. The faceting is crisp and the beads also have an AB coating. The shine is amazing. The face of the bead is faceted and rises in the center to a flat square. The bead is 8 mm thick. This has a smooth edge around the side. There are about 22 beads on each strand and each strand is 11 inches long.