Dzi beads are the patterned stone beads of Tibet — the ones marked with eyes, stripes, and geometric shapes, each with its own name and its own reading. The pieces in this collection are dzi-style beads carved from yak bone, not ancient agate originals. They are made to be worn every day, which is the point of carving them at all.
The pattern is the point
In Tibetan practice a dzi is read by its pattern, not by its size. The names you will meet here:
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One-eye — the simplest mark, worn for a single clear focus.
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Two-eye — associated with harmony, and with partnerships.
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Three-eye — the most common pattern, tied to health, wealth, and protection together.
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Tiger-tooth — a striped band, worn for courage.
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Heaven-and-earth — a round and a square, the two halves of the world joined.
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Treasure vase — shaped for gathering rather than guarding.
Several pieces also carry a guru bead and a gourd alongside the dzi, the same pairing you find on a mala.
Made from yak bone
Yak bone is dense and takes a deep dye, which is why the lines on these beads stay sharp. Every bead is carved, so no two strands match exactly. Bone also changes with wear: it takes on the oils from your skin and warms in color over months, the way a wooden mala does.
Sizing
Most pieces run between 9mm and 12mm. The larger beads read as a bolder strand; 9mm and 10mm sit closer to a second bracelet you can leave on.
Choose the pattern you want to carry, then the size that fits the wrist it goes on. Several of these are worn for protection in the same spirit as the ghau box — a thing kept against the body, not put on display.
