Above: Natural Chalcedony from the Gobi Desert. Similar lighter coloured
material would have been used in ancient times to create dZi beads.

 In the short biography* of Kyala Khenpo Chechok Thondrup it mentions the following:

"Throughout his life, he did many short retreats or less strict retreats of a month or two on enjoying the essence (bChud Len, rasayana), sustaining himself solely with the elixir drawn from flowers and a white stone called Chongzhi (Chong dZi)."

*from Masters of Meditation and Miracles by Tulku Thondup

Ancient tabular stone bead that appears
to be made from Bowenite. 
32 mm diameter. Depth 9 mm

A high quality new dZi bead from Taiwan (Mid 1990s). 

Displays the Sakor Namkor design with extra eye.

Hand carved turquoise frog. Sourced in Nepal. 40 mm x 31 mm

Ancient Two Eye dZi bead with blood spots.25 mm x 11 mm

This is a large ancient Chong dZi that was sourced in Nepal a few years ago. It was broken in half, so I had a friend put a 24K gold band around the centre. Thanks Jhinpa! 70 mm x 20 mm

Here we have an antique (not ancient) dZi bead created in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. These beads were probably created in the late 19th century and are made from agate. They were first correctly identified by Jamey D Allen, a respected bead researcher in the USA. It is likely that they were the first convincing stone replicas of ancient dZi to appear in the Tibetan/Himalayan marketplace. Prior to this, there were decorated Chinese beads made from serpentine and also various glass imitations. Later 20th century imitations include ceramic, plastic, glass, wood and bone. The Taiwanese beads started to appear in the early 1990s and they are the closest in appearance to genuine ancient beads.  

I was recently shown a six eye Idar-Oberstein bead by a very respected dZi dealer in Kathmandu. The selling price was almost $6000 (May 2011). The is the most expensive Idar-Oberstein bead I have seen to date - but having said this it was also the best example. Tibetans believe these beads originate from Bhutan, so they call them Bhutanese dZi. Which is probably another way of saying they don't know where they come from. Even though they are not so old they are still very collectible and highly appreciated by Tibetans in Nepal. They are also not as common as you might expect, which is why they command high prices. Of the many thousands of beads I have viewed over the past 15 years, I have seen less than 10 Idar-Oberstein beads for sale. The majority of the Idar-Oberstein beads display six and nine eyes. The bead above displays the Sakor Namkor (square & circle motif) decoration and measures 31 mm x 12 mm.

 Above: Two newly created tabular agate eye beads (Luk Mik). 

Probably from China (sourced in Nepal). 26 mm

The surface has added pitting/impact fractures

to give the appearance of age.

Taiwanese dZi

Above: Close up image of a new six eye

This is a new six eye dZi bead from Taiwan (1990s). Notice that the dig on the bead is smooth and rounded at the edges (not sharp) to give the appearance of a bead with ancient wear. It is important to recognise that many characteristics you would expect to find on ancient beads can also be seen on new beads. Some bead makers have clearly taken a great deal of time to make beads look as authentic as possible. These beads are in the minority but they are certainly in circulation and have been for more than 20 years.

Taiwanese beads first appeared in the early 1990s (possibly late 1980s). In recent years the quality of new dZi from China and Taiwan has deteriorated, which is why the earliest Taiwanese beads often get confused for genuine ancient beads. Also, if a new dZi bead has been worn on the body for a number of years it will start to develop its own patina as it rubs against the skin. Sharp edges will start to become smooth and the more porous areas will absorb oils from the body. This can also start to change the colour of the bead and it will begin to look and feel like it is much older than it actually is.

Some points (not set in concrete) that might help you with identifying ancient dZi beads with eyes and other decorations.

• Most new beads have a very uniformed shape with perfect symmetry. This can mean that both ends are perfectly rounded, which is a characteristic seldom seen with ancient dZi.
• New beads typically have a glass-like surface polish.
• New beads are machine drilled and the hole is usually very straight and of a uniform size. Ancient beads were drilled by hand from both ends and therefore the holes are less likely to be so aligned. One end may have a hole that is more off centre for example or one hole may be slightly bigger than the other. Taking a cast of the perforation may also tell you how the bead was drilled. Also, look at the holes and see if they are sharp at the edges. Most ancient beads will show holes that are rounded or misshapen from rubbing against cord for centuries. The ends may also show wear from rubbing against other beads.
• If you have a bead that clearly displays a great deal of weathering on the surface - such as impact fractures and rounded surface digs, and the ends show absolutely no signs of wear - this 'might' be a sign that this bead is new. Modern bead makers rarely concentrate on the ends of a bead. Also, look at the tiny impact fractures. If the bead has circular marks and they are all exactly the same size and shape - it is likely this has been applied with a tool and thus it is not a sign of great age. Many new beads are simply placed in a tumbler until the desired look is achieved. It is therefore important not to base your trust solely on the appearance of a beads surface.
• Look at the quality of the decoration. Ancient dZi usually have a decoration that penetrates deep into the body of the bead. I have seen beads with a decoration that can penetrate the stone up to 3 mm, which is why a stone will not lose its decoration after 2000 years of rubbing on the body. Ancient beads rarely look like the decoration has been 'painted' on the surface for example. The decoration should blend with the base colour of the stone in a natural way. The lines of the decoration should be skillfully applied, well balanced and generous. New beads usually have much thinner lines and the decoration can be painterly. New beads often show decorated lines that become translucent at the edges and they do not always blend well with the base colour. Somtimes new beads display  a 'halo' effect or a border around the decoration, which is much more noticeable under magnification. This halo effect can be seen clearly on the new six eye bead shown above. The halo effect can also be seen on some ancient beads, however, I believe it is less common because ancient bead makers were much more adept with the chemical process of decorating beads. 

................I will add more to this post when I have some more time.

Above: A new six eye dZi bead. (Taiwan 1990s)

Above: A new two eye dZi bead from Taiwan or China. Artificially aged. 33 mm x 11 mm

The above bead is a good example of an artificially aged bead. The body displays a number of digs that have been rounded and polished. This gives the impression of genuine old weathering, worn smooth from centuries of close contact to the body. Also, the decorated lines give a false appearance of ancient corrosion or heat damage. However, the maker has completely neglected the ends and perforations, thus making it easy to recognise the bead as a modern replica.

The ends show the original colour of the stone material (white). The black/grey areas are the artificial base colour. The ends are highly polished and perfectly rounded. The stone at the ends is comparable in quality to many newly created agates coming out of China. Both rounded ends look identical in shape and the holes are central and straight - they are also exactly the same diameter at both ends. The ends show no signs of weathering or any indication that this bead has been strung. In fact the holes still have a sharp edge, which suggests they have been recently drilled. However, it is important to note that smooth edges does not always indicate a bead is ancient. There are many ancient dZi that also show no signs of weathering for a number of reasons, however, the quality of the agate, style of decoration, drilling methods, provenance and other indications should be enough to determine whether it is genuine.

Since I have also seen a large strand of these beads (in Nepal) of comparable quality and size, it also makes it easier to know they are modern replicas of ancient beads. Makers of new dZi tend to make beads that are very similar looking in shape, size, quality of material and style of decoration (see Enijew for example). Therefore if you see many beads that look identical in quality it is likely they are fresh out of the same factory. Ancient dZi that have been worn for generations, often have a very unique usage patina - which is very difficult to fake. It is therefore extremely hard to find ancient dZi that are a perfect match. So if you see a seller on ebay offering beads as 'ancient' and they have a whole store full of very similar looking beads - be careful!

A new six eye dZi bead created in the early 1990s (Taiwan).

Above: This is a new three eye dZi bead from Taiwan (early 1990s). We have been posting the most convincing new dZi beads to this blog for years, in effort to help collectors distinguish between genuine ancient beads and the finer Taiwanese replicas. This is the very first Taiwanese bead I purchased.

Above: A new Taiwanese dZi from the early to mid 1990s. Displays a wave, lotus, square and circle decoration. What is interesting about this bead is the size of the holes (4 mm). They are the largest holes I have seen on any new dZi bead. From experience the vast majority of new beads have a hole size of no more than 2.5 mm.

Blood Spots

The above bead is a newly created three eye dZi from Taiwan (less than 10 years old). It displays red blood spots (called Martik in Tibetan) which are natural iron inclusions inherent in the agate. Tibetans often look for blood spots to help distinguish ancient beads from the modern replicas, however, it is mistaken to believe that blood spots can only appear on ancient beads. Whilst it is rare to find blood spots appearing on new beads they certainly do exist.

Many new beads can also have 'brown' coloured inclusions that are often confused with blood spots, however, they are not always the same thing. Also, the red spots appearing on the above bead are clearly inherent within the stone and this means they have not been applied to the surface of the bead.

Many new beads have also been given artificial surface fissures/cracks which are coated in a red dye to give the appearance of age and blood spots (see the bead below). This is often called 'Dragon Veins' by Chinese sellers of new dZi. If you look closely at the bead below, you will also see that one of the holes has a build up of red dye. This is a clear sign that the dye was added after the bead was drilled and therefore not a natural occurrence.

 Above: A new dZi bead with red dye applied to the body. 

This gives the appearance of red veins and is an
attempt to imitate the red blood spot inclusions
visible within some ancient dZi beads.

The bead shown below is a rare quality Taiwanese bead from the 1990s. This bead displays 'brown' inclusions which are very different from the 'red' spots that Tibetans look for when identifying ancient beads. It is possible these inclusions are simply the result of a chemical reaction between the decorated lines and the base colour during the heating of the stone.

Above: A new 'Mountain peak' dZi bead with brown inclusions.

Above: A new Lotus/Vase dZi bead with brown inclusions that are

often mistaken for 'red' blood spots. Whilst they are a little similar

in appearance they are not the same as blood spots.

Above: A new Taiwanese Tiger dZi bead with dense 'black' 

iron or hematite inclusions that are inherent in the stone.

Above: This is the reverse of a newly created Luk Mik 

bead from China. Many red blood spots can be seen 

in the crystalline zone.

Above: New Lotus dZi with blood spots.

Antique amber bead with repair. Sourced in Nepal. diameter 35 mm

Antique carved ivory bead from Tibet. 25 mm x 17 mm

originally uploaded by Falsalama's Tibet.

Five Ancient Phum dZi beads. Centre bead measures 30 mm x 18 mm.

A mix of ancient decorated and undecorated agates and carnelians.

".......people of ancient times assessed the pattern of gzi stones with attention in order to establish their price: they took into consideration the distinctive characteristics of the object created, as well as the number of fountain of water [chu mig] patterns, and the variety of the lines. This skill in evaluating has been retained to the present time, and is a recognized capacity." 

~ Chögyal Namkhai Norbu ~

I would like to take a brief look at the fairly recent (2009) book by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, entitled The Light of Kailash - A History of Zhang Zhung and Tibet. There is a short section that focuses on dZi and thogchags (gZi and thog lchags), which I find intriguing and certainly needs further investigation.

It is not made clear whether this knowledge has been gleaned from ancient writings or early texts -- or whether this is purely the understanding of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu -- based on Tibetan oral lore. Several pages include drawings of 'gzi' beads, and the Tibetan names are given for the different types of decoration and the shape of beads. He refers to eyes as 'drop-like' patterns, which are known as 'Chu Mig' and translated in the book as 'fountain of water'. Although a more literal translation would be 'Water Eye' or even 'Water Hole'. Likening the eyes to 'fountains of water' gives us a sense of the dZi overflowing with power and purity and perhaps points at the curative qualities associated with dZi beads.

He also mentions that a dZi bead can be of four types:

•  White dZi (White base colour) with a dark or red design.

•  Red dZi (Red base colour) with a white or red design

•  Dark dZi (Brown and Black base colour) with white or red design.

•  Variegated dZi. This means the dZi bead has a 'mixed colour' base and a 'less visible' design. I assume that this might include beads that are of the more translucent variety and might even be regarded as a type of Chong dZi.

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu also tells us that dZi can have up to twelve 'fountain of water' patterns [eyes].

What I find most interesting is the inclusion of 'spherical' dZi beads (above), which he also divides into four types, depending on the base colour and the differing 'wave-like' patterns. This is worth attention because in the past 15 years, I have only ever seen two genuine ancient dZi beads of a spherical shape. Both were in a private Taiwanese collection. These beads were distinct and of the same quality and type of manufacture as a pure dZi. The beads I viewed displayed eyes and did not include any other type of decoration. I want to make it clear that these beads were not the same as the dark agate 'spherical' beads with decorated equatorial lines that are usually associated with India and Burma. The beads I viewed were of comparable quality to the oblong, fusiform or oval tube dZi with eyes (see two eyed dZi below), which Tibetans most revere.

It is clear that pure dZi of a spherical shape are extremely rare and virtually unheard of and it somewhat surprised me to see them included in Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's book. Of course this doesn't mean that other types of spherical dZi do not exist, however, I have personally never encountered a spherical pure dZi with the designs that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu shows. Even other non-pure ancient dZi types (adopted as Tibetan/Himalayan possibly originating from India or Western Asia) do not commonly display this design. It can sometimes be seen on ancient carnelians if found within the Himalayas, however, Tibetans do not regard these beads as a variety of pure dZi.

Since only drawings were included in his book, we can speculate that the beads Rinpoche is referring to might actually be oval beads with 'wave-like' designs. They are known more commonly as Tiger dZi (Taklok) because of their tiger-like stripes. However, this doesn't seem likely because the 'artistic style' shown in the book  is quite different from what we see on ancient Tiger dZi. Oval dZi beads also have a distinct and notable shape, so I very much doubt this would have been overlooked in his publication. Having considered all of this, we can then ask if there are other possibilities. When I look at the bead designs shown in his book, I personally recognise them as being of a different bead type altogether and not necessarily Tibetan. If beads of this type did indeed exist in ancient Tibet and continue to be prized today, then we should look at the possibilities of where they came from and who created them.

Are there any beads of similar appearance found elsewhere in Asia?

Anyone who is familiar with ancient and antique Burmese beads known as Pumtek (Buried Thunderbolt), will recognise the above drawings as displaying designs typically found on these beads. Decorated spherical beads were probably the most common type of stone bead in ancient Burma and they are still prized by the Chin people today. In much the same way that Tibetans prize dZi beads. The bead makers of ancient Burma were master artisans and their decorated stone beads are often compared to ancient dZi. I have also come across a number of ancient agatised/opalised Pumtek beads included on heirloom Tibetan strands in Nepal. It is therefore clear that Pumtek did travel to neighboring countries and perhaps the link between Pumtek and dZi is worth far more investigation. It is possible that the beads Chögyal Namkhai Norbu is referring to, are actually of Burmese origin [Samon or Pyu civilisation] and were traded to Tibet from Burma, or via other trade routes like India and Nepal. Perhaps these early Burmese beads were then adopted as true dZi by Tibetans and have continued to be viewed as such.

Photo right: An ancient heirloom Pumtek bead from Burma with a striking resemblance to the 'spherical gzi' drawings in Chögyal Namkhai Norbu's book.

It would be great if the spherical beads Rinpoche refers to, are genuine ancient dZi beads that are super rare -- and not yet widely known outside of Tibet. Perhaps this design was greatly treasured in Ancient Tibet and it therefore influenced early Burmese bead makers to create similar beads. We know that the earliest settlers in Burma were in fact Sino-Tibetans, so this is also plausible. If we are able get further evidence of ancient spherical dZi found within a Tibetan context then it may just help us to better understand these beads.

Antique imitation dZi beads made from glass and an imitation 

nine eye dZi bead (ceramic). Sourced in Nepal.  

Smallest bead 15.19 mm x 13.40 mm

Ancient rock crystal bead. Sourced in Nepal. 15 mm

Ancient faceted rock crystal bead. Sourced in Nepal. 13.75 mm x 11.25 mm

An ancient agate eye bead (convex shape on both sides). Western Asiatic. This bead has no noticeable crystalline banding that forms an eye, nor has it been decorated with an eye design. So in this case it is the shape of the bead that indicates it as being an eye amulet. James Lankton places a similar bead (no.208) on his timeline and dates it to around 4000 BCE. 30 mm x 25 mm x 10 mm

Imitation Sakor Namkor sourced in North India (2010). 39.07 mm x 13.91.

This is an uncommon imitation Sakor Namkor dZi bead, created from quartz and with black decorated lines. I do not know of any ancient dZi beads made purely from quartz and so this tells us immediately that this is a new creation. All ancient dZi are created from agate and in some rare cases carnelian, which are both distinct varieties of Chalcedony. Bead makers in antiquity favoured Chalcedony because it is more porous than the more abundant quartz material. This greatly increases the potential for colour alteration, which in turn enhances the appearance of natural banding in the stone. Dark agate beads (browns and blacks) were clearly favoured in antiquity, and this colour was mainly achieved by soaking the agate in various chemical solutions for long periods and heating the material to allow the solution to permanently darken the stone. On the bead above, the lines may have been carved into the stone and then filled with an unknown black substance. It has then been polished so that the decoration is flush with the surface. The quartz has not been dyed or treated to alter the colour unlike ancient dZi.

Above: A small ancient decorated carnelian (12 mm x 5 mm) 

with a pinkish white body and dark lines. 

The colour is probably the
result of fire damage.

We do see ancient white stone beads with dark lines, however, most have probably been damaged by excessive heat at the time of being made or as a result of a funeral pyre. Sometimes this appearance is attributed to beads being buried for long periods but this is still unproven. Ancient decorated carnelians (also known as etched carnelians) will sometimes display a white body with black lines (Beck classifies this as Type II). It is unlikely that this was the intention of the bead maker because the overall result is usually quite crude. Ancient dZi beads that display crystalline areas or translucent banding on the body, are a clear testament to colour treatments not being able to take to the crystalline areas--and so this is why we do not see ancient dZi beads made purely from this material.