Dzi bead
| Dzi bead | |||||||||||||||
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Modern 'new' dzi beads made from etched agate | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 天珠 | ||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | tiānzhū | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | heaven beads | ||||||||||||||
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| Tibetan name | |||||||||||||||
| Tibetan | གཟི | ||||||||||||||
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A dzi bead (Tibetan: གཟི།; pronounced "zee"; alternative spelling: gzi) a type of agate bead of uncertain origin found in the Himalayan regions including Tibet, Bhutan, and Ladakh.
Traditionally they are worn as part of a traditional Tibetan necklace. In traditional Tibetan necklaces, dzi beads are usually flanked with coral. Sometimes they are also worn with amber and turquoise beads.
The bead is considered to provide positive spiritual benefits to the wearer. These beads are generally prized as protective amulets and are sometimes grounded and used in traditional Tibetan medicine. Beads subjected to this process shows small "dig marks" where a portion of the bead would have been scraped or ground away to be used in medicine. Some dzi beads also exhibit grinding and polishing for being used as a burnishing tool in the application of gold leaf on thangka paintings or gilded bronze statuary.
The most highly prized dzi beads are the ancient "pure dzi". The original source of these beads currently remains a mystery. While the ancient "pure dzi" beads and "Chung dzi" beads are greatly valued, new modern-made dzi beads are also gaining popularity among Tibetans as an affordable and more easily obtainable alternative.