Very big ancient Tibetan nine-eye DZI bead L X B in 7cm X 1.5cm

Let’s start with the pronunciation. Dzi is said as though the ‘d’ is silent – “zee” but was more traditionally known as gZi in years gone by. The word dZi has a few meanings in different countries, it is known as Heaven’s Pearl in China and interprets loosely as shine, clearness, brightness or splendor in Tibetan.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding dZi agate and dZi beads which have been found from as early as 2500 BC. This mysterious agate is steeped in history, with many religions and belief systems turning to the powers and energies of the stone for assistance holistically. They were often ground up and used for healing or alternately small bits were chipped from them.

These beads have been found in Tibet, India, Nepal and other areas in Central Asia and are always made from dZi agate or sometimes carnelian. They are mainly used in necklaces and bracelets and were worn by chiefs of the Bön religion in Tibet who were often cremated wearing them. There have been beads found with scorching or burns and also fractures from being in the flames; these are worth quite a lot of money due to their historical importance.