To improve radiopacity in a stent, and to reduce trauma while improving stent anchoring, imported beads are mounted To stent precursor matrices. Specially attractive is to provide a ring of such beads on the end rings of stent structures featuring a cylindrical mid length section flanked by outwardly flared ends. The beads can be of the same or different material from that of the stent matrix. The beads can assist in drawing the stent into a sleeve of a delivery system. Beads can be used to reveal features of the stent away from an end ring, such as a fenestration in the cylinder. Beads can be fixed in a position mechanically or by welding.