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It is said that Dzi beads possess mysterious powers and bring good fortune to their owners. No matter how many eyes they bare, all Dzi beads possess the mystic power of bringing luck, stabilizing blood pressure, warding off evil, enhancing body strength, and guarding against apoplexy.

 

Dzi bead (Tib. གཟི།; pronounced "zee"; alternative spelling: Gzi). Dzi is said as though the ‘d’ is silent – “zee” but was more traditionally known as Gzi in years gone by. The meaning of the Tibetan word "Dzi" [གཟི།] translates to "shine, brightness, clearness, splendor." In Mandarin Chinese, Dzi are called "HEAVEN'S BEAD" or "heaven's pearl" (天珠; tiān zhū).

The history of Dzi beads can be found throughout the Eastern world with many legends and artifacts being found, suggesting they have been revered as priceless for thousands of years. Some of the legends are as follows:

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Dzi beads made their first appearance between 2000 and 1000 BC, in ancient India: a few hundred thousand were supposedly brought back by Tibetan soldiers from Persia during a raid. The malicious effect of the “evil eye” was taken very seriously by these people. Dzi were considered to counteract the evil eye. The artisans who made the Dzi created amulets with “eyes” on them as a “fight fire with fire” form of protection. The authentic “Pure Dzi” and “Chung Dzi” are found primarily in Tibet, and the “Dzi family” can be found in neighboring countries such as India, Bhutan, Ladakh, Sikkim, and Nepal. The later are “etched carnelian” with the history being tracked back to 5,000 years ago where its main sources were Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and India.​

In 1959, the Dalai Lama and many Tibetans fled abroad when the Chinese communists invaded Tibet. They took much valuable jewelry with them, such as coral, amber, turquoise and the mysterious Dzi beads. The refugees sold these valuables during the journey in exchange for their daily needs and have been since used to even mortgage a home. It was that time the world was exposed to this precious jewel from the Land of Snow!

1. Tibetan legends lead to believe that the Dzi were once insects that lived in a kind of nest call “Dzi tshang” in Tibet. When the insects were unearthed they will continue to move for a while and eventually become petrified in the form of Dzi that exist today. Other stories say that the Dzi were once insects but became petrified by the touch of human hand, or by the people with good karma, or by woman's shirt.

2. Another legend said that there was a time when Tibet was overwhelmed by severe epidemic and the Tibetans were facing very hard life. Fortunately, the compassionate Vajravarahi Buddha came to the rescue by releasing the magical Dzi Beads from the sky. The beads are believed to bring good luck, ward off evil, and protect the wearer from physical harm.

3. One of the stories describes the Dzi were once wore by semi-gods in heaven as ornaments during ancient times. When the Dzi gradually blemished, the semi-god threw it to the earth. Therefore, one can ever find the beads in perfect condition.

4. It is also believed that the Dzi beads were made from meteorites that fell from outer space thousands of years ago. The magnetic field of Dzi bead is three times stronger than the normal crystals.

5. Another legend tells the story that after Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) built the first temple (Samye Monastery) in Tibet, he was blessed with Dzi beads by the heavenly beings. Guru Rinpoche then buried the Dzi beads all over Tibet, each with specific prayer, blessing or spiritual insight. Hundreds of years later, King Gesar of Ling Kingdom had defeated the Tagzig Kingdom, he found maps that led him to discover rare treasures, including millions of Dzi beads. King Gesar brought them back as the spoils of military conquest to reward soldiers. Zambala - The God of Wealth in Tibet is seen wearing various old Dzi beads (three eyed, seven eyed, and nine eyed) strung with red agate beads.

Although the geographic origin of Dzi beads is truly uncertain, it is accepted that they are now called "Tibetan beads," just like "Tibetan coral," which also came to Tibet from elsewhere.

When Buddhism spread to Tibet during the Tang Dynasty approximately 1,300 years ago, the Tang Emperor Taizong sent his adopted daughter, Princess Wencheng, to become the bride of the 32nd King of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, as a strategy to harmonize the relationship between Tibet, and China. Princess Wencheng brought along with her Buddhism and an image of the twelve-year-old Jobo Sakyamuni. The diadem, cape, and decorative straps worn by the image of the young Buddha are studded with many pearls, agates, turquoises, corals and Dzi beads. They look extremely splendid. The most precious are the three pieces of nine-eyed Dzi on the diadem. Other Dzi beads, around hundreds in number, display various designs including waves and tiger-tooth. At present, the image is housed and worshiped in the Jokhang Monastery.

Tibetans cherish these beads and consider them hereditary gems. In this way they have survived thousands of years, being worn by hundreds of individual people. Dzi are found primarily in Tibet, but also in neighboring Bhutan, Nepal, Ladakh and Sikkim. Although Dzi type agate beads were made in the Indus Valley during the Harappan period and at various locations rich in agate deposits in India, such as in Khambhat. Since their Neolithic periods, the earliest archaeologically controlled find of an agate bead with Dzi style decoration of straight and curved lines and circular eye found has been from a Saka culture excavation (Uigarak) in Kazakhstan, dated 7th - 5th C. BCE. These were said to be imports from India, reflecting long distance trade with the more nomadic Saka or Scythian tribes.

 

Since knowledge of the bead is derived from several differing oral traditions, the beads have provoked controversy regarding their source, their method of manufacture, and even their precise definition. In Tibetan culture these beads are believed to attract local protectors, Dharmapalas; or deities, ancestors or even Bodhisattvas. Because of this, Dzi beads are always treated with respect.

 

It has been reported that modern era Dzi style beads were made in Idar Oberstein, Germany at least as early as the 19th C. The German agate-cutters at Idar-Oberstein plied their trade since the Roman Period. They brought the coloring of agates to a science and the cutting and drilling to the mechanical level of perfection for which Germans are known.

Sometimes shepherds and farmers find Dzi beads in the soil or in the grasslands. Because of this, some Tibetans traditionally believe or believed that Dzi are naturally formed, not man-made.

 

Due to the questionable origin of most hand made Dzi beads and the high demand for them, there has been relatively recent reproduction reported in Asia. The most convincing replica of ancient Dzi beads came from Taiwan during the 1990s. China has also produced some good-quality Dzi beads over the last years. However, the number of modern Dzi that would be accepted as beautiful by the Tibetan community is very small, making these beads highly desirable. When someone reads about the charging of newer Dzi beads by Lamas to make them "pure" and give them supernatural power to replace the energy lost by taking small chips, "digs or dings", from a bead to be ingested as an ingredient in a curative potion. It is not difficult to understand how they fail to appreciate the unique beauty of age and experience, and even see it as a useful defacement, but a defacement nonetheless. Superstitious ritual and belief integral to creating these scars are, then, equally so in causing the loss in their desirability. This is distinctly similar to other tribal art wherein cultural belief and ritual are essential to empowering artistic creation.

 

Dzi are popular in China, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore as well. Genuine ancient Dzi are usually too expensive for most Tibetans: those who have not owned Dzi for generations can no longer afford to buy them. Some of the new Dzi have become highly collectible resulting in much higher prices. As was true in ancient days, only a handful of artisans know how to make superior beads today. Less than a dozen people are manufacturing truly high-quality and beautiful beads; not much is known about who they are or where their workshops are.

With a few exceptions, new beads are not considered to have the mystic associations of the ancient beads. But, it is considered possible to give new Dzi similar powers with some time and effort: 1) by taking them to be blessed by a lama or guru; 2) taking them on pilgrimages to holy places such as stupas and shrines; and 3) reciting mantras, as well as taking religious vows with them. An advantage of new Dzi beads is that they do not carry any of the bad karma of previous owners. It is considered possible to rid a stone of bad energy by submerging it in saltwater for several hours, and then fanning incense over it. The Dzi should be treated with respect from that time on. Sun basking and herbal smudging are also said to purify the beads. Spirit aroma offering and recitation of Cintamani Dharani are considered helpful in charging the bead as well.

 

Imitation Dzi are created from materials other than agate or chalcedony. They can be made of glass, resin, lamp-work, wood, bone, plastic, metal, or non-traditional etched stones. Imitation Dzi have a long history, some dating back a couple of hundred years. The older mock Dzi have some collectible value. Some of the resin mock Dzi have a filling of lead to add weight.

Some people would also call the modern machine-carved and machine-drilled, highly polished new Dzi "mock Dzi" Almost invariably mass-produced, these are available for less than two dollars, and are often sold by the strand. The etching on these cheap beads has been done very quickly, and the decorations do not penetrate into the inner core of the bead. These are usually targeted for sale to mainland Chinese customers as lucky Feng Shui charms.

Market value for ancient beads can easily reach into hundreds of thousands of US dollars - especially for beads with more "eyes." Tiny red cinnabar spots caused by iron inclusion in the agate also increase the value. New etched agate Dzi are also highly prized as long as they are well made, contain the traditional patterns, and are made from genuine agate without "dragon skin" or "dragon veins," with a clean, clear look and luster and nicely simulated abrasion signs at the drill holes (these abrasions should slope upward, simulating thousands of years of thread abrasion). Blood vein (or Golden Vein) known as Pure Dzis are put through temperature cycle to create micro-crack lines on the surface of the bead. The coloring agent was then forced into the gaps of the crack lines. The effect is red color lines like blood vein running on the surface of the bead. This type of Dzi bead can be broken easily as the temperature cycle process already damage the internal structure of the Dzi.

 

New prices range from about ten to two thousand US Dollars, depending on quality and luster. Because of the high value placed on them, Tibetans would typically only part with an authentic Dzi bead under very extreme circumstances, such as theft, confiscation by banks or government, or even murder. As a result, many Tibetans have started wearing reproduction Dzi in public, out of fear of theft.

 

In recent history, as the Dzi bead made its way to the Western World, the beads are now seen accompanied with natural gemstones that harness alike metaphysical properties to enhance the long lost powers of the Dzi, as well as being anointed by precious oils, herbs, and other means. They are typically stored with crystals and / or herbs when not worn to retain the Dzis energy.

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