Tibetan Dzi Bead

Chunky barrel with butterfly-like wings and a cracked, crackled surface.

This Tibetan agate dzi bead is from Tibet. Their origins are still debated, and scholars generally agree only that such beads have been treasured in Tibet and neighboring regions for a very long time. Fat, barrel-shaped bead with a dark brown cap and a creamy, honey-colored body. Two pairs of dark, curved wings meet at a pale central stripe, and the surface shows fine crackling. A small hole pierces the end.

Fat, patterned and quite proud of its crackle.