Beaded Beads

I've been on a kick lately, trying out different beaded beads. 

These are from the book The Art of Beaded Beads by Jean Campbell.

I think they were called pumpkin beads - which is definitely what they look like.  I like the pink one better - the contrast on the top and bottom definitely makes the bead look more dynamic, although I don't know how important it would be in the long run.  I imagine that these beads would look great as a focal on a necklace or bracelet (they are kind of big - about 3/4 inch tall and 1 inch wide) and they will probably have some other larger beads squished on either side of them so the contrast edging would not be as noticeable.