CRITERIA OF IDENTIFYING DZI BEADS

 

Agate is a natural hard stone which chips quite easily, the stone would have to be heated (in a vacuum) before it could be carved and even then, this may not always work. Treatments may have included darkening with plant sugars and heat, bleaching and white line etching with natron, and protecting certain areas with grease, clay, wax or a similar substance. A hole was drilled before the bead was decorated as drilling caused most breakage during the production process, and holes were also useful for stringing and dipping numerous beads as a step in coloration. The earliest holes were conical and done with solid drill bits drilling from both ends and, hopefully, meeting near the center of the bead. Very small drill tips of chipped flint were used without abrasives and numerous other materials. Neolithic era beads were also drilled with hollow, tubular abrasion driven bits of reed and, later, during the Chalcolithic, copper. They drilled a hole with a core of agate inside the tubular drill. Tubular bit holes were parallel walled rather than conical, but also done from both ends. Both methods required work done with a bow drill, with time and effort being determined by hardness of abrasive, from ground sand (quartz) to corundum.

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Etched agate beads not considered pure are called “Chung Dzi”, or "secondary, less important Dzi". Lastly, “etched carnelian” is not recognized by the Tibetan. Chung Dzi has such a huge variety of shapes, sizes and designs, from plain natural carnelian or striped agate, to huge beads with many etched lines and patterns, that they would be impossible to value.

This bead is embedded in history, with many religions and belief systems turning toward the powers and energies of the bead for assistance in medicine, as well as spiritually. These beads are generally prized as protective, and an amulet sometimes ground into a powder to be used in traditional Tibetan medicine. Beads subject to this process have small "ding marks" where a portion of the bead has been scraped or ground away to be used in the medicine. Some Dzi show grinding and polishing of one or both ends, again the result of reduction for use in traditional Tibetan medicine or, in some cases, due to the bead's use as a burnishing tool in the application of gold leaf to thanka paintings or gilt bronze statuary.

There are many criteria to identify Dzi beads such as the weathering marks, cinnabar dots, diaphaneity, circular dragon mark, body color, surface pattern, degree of perfection, etc. Buyers are advised to understand these criteria before making any purchases.

The round brown dot surrounded by a white circle is the eye of Dzi. Dzi may have stripes, bands, threads, and many other designs that are further explained throughout this book.

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Some characteristics of good quality beads include good color contrast between lines and base, clear defined lines, and a good surface skin texture. The value of a Dzi bead is determined after considering factors mentioned below.

 

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Coloration and Shape

 

The most sought after base color is opaque dark brown to black, although many other colors are available.

Carnelian (Chung Dzi), Cylindrical (long shaped), Cylindrical (short shaped), other un-even, Oval (olive), Pumtek, Round, and Tabular are the shapes Dzi beads are found in.

 

Weathering Marks

Weathering marks are signs of the aging of the bead. They are the tiny lines of different thickness running irregularly on the surface of the Dzi bead. However, not every old Dzi bead will have the weathering marks.

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Cinnabar Dots

Cinnabar Dots are the red or black speckles that grow from within the body of Dzi to its surface. It is possible that these cinnabar dots are the effects of the magnetic interaction between the Dzi and the human body after a very long time. There are two types of cinnabar dots: the red and the black cinnabar dots. The red one is more popular among the wearers. Dzi bead with black cinnabar dots is believed to have longer history or older than the red one. This is due to the observation that the red cinnabar dot will eventually turn into black after a few generations. However, Dzis with cinnabar dots are extremely difficult to find thus the price is usually very high.

 

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Diaphaneity

 

Diaphaneity is the transparency of the Dzi body, which is the ability to allow light to pass through. It was once used as the method to identify the authentication of Dzi beads. It was later concluded that this could be very misleading as many authentic old Dzi are not transparent. Therefore, this should not be the ONLY criteria to determine the value of Dzi.

 

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Circular Dragon Marks

 

Circular dragon marks are the natural streaks that circulate the body of Dzi. These marks are propitious signs resulted from the meditative practice of the gurus. The circular dragon marks should complete a full circle on the body of Dzi and should not cut through the eye of Dzi If both conditions are not fulfilled, the value of such Dzi will drop drastically.

 

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Pattern Motif

 

The pattern of the Dzi bead can determine the value of the Dzi. The common patterns have the lower value. The unusual patterns that are difficult to find will have higher value.

 

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Size

The Dzis with larger size will have a higher value. Some larger Dzis worn as pendants will have accompanying Dzis of smaller size. As well as natural corresponding gemstones as seen worn in the Western world.

 

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Defect Quality

Sometimes you can find authentic Dzi at very low price. This is because such Dzi could be the “reject” quality. Note that a worn hole at the end of the Dzi bead may indicate age, although some imitations now have holes made to look worn.

 

Storing Method

 

Recently the method of storage has become a factor due to the modern civilized world we now live in. This may include not only the herbs the Dzi has been laid to rest with, but also the known treatment the bead has received, such as any known anointing completed.