I've total confidence in what you said, the grey and the clear are from the same mold. I've compared them side by side.
But is there any chance or at any point some even larger size tri-flange tips were made from a different mold, which will explain why my clear tips are larger than the current ones? Or simply because the clear ones came with my MK5s are a different kind of tips (not ER38-18)?
1. I can't remember what they were like when they were new, and they don't hold tight to the stem at this point
2. Maybe the lighting in that photo is too dark, they sure have a lighter grey, and I bought them from Etymotic shop on Amazon. Also, my MK5s were bought from Etymotic shop on Amazon last year.
I'm just trying to find out if I could still find the same clear tips that came with my MK5s, the replacement grey tips are too small for my ears. My mysterious clears tips fit like a glove once they are broken in.