The pixiu is a winged guardian, and the one thing worth knowing about it is the direction it faces: it is said to take in and not give out. That is why it is worn as a gatherer rather than as a protector, and why it almost always appears alone rather than as a pair.
One figure, many materials
The same pixiu is cut here in black obsidian, yellow citrine, green jade, garnet, and tiger's eye. The material changes how the piece reads on the wrist — obsidian swallows light, citrine throws it, jade keeps it quiet — but the figure is identical every time, and the intent travels with the shape rather than the stone.
Three forms
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Bracelets — a single pixiu threaded through beads, with the head turned to one side of the wrist.
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Rings — the smallest version, the figure set into the band. Several of these also carry the heart sutra.
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Cord pieces — a silver pixiu knotted onto red or black cord, the lightest of the three.
Some pieces pair the pixiu with a mantra bead or a garnet accent, and one is carved from yak bone as a spacer.
Choosing
Pick the form first — how much of the wrist you want it to occupy — and the material second. The pieces grouped for wealth place it beside the other gathering symbols.
