Carnelian Dzi Barrel Beads

Carnelian Dzi Barrel Beads  The meaning of the Tibetan word "dzi" translates to "shine, brightness, clearness, splendor." In Mandarin Chinese, dzi are called "heaven's bead" or "heaven's pearl" (天珠; tiān zhū). Dzi is pronounced with a silent ‘d’ and is phonetically heard as “zee”. Material and Age: Artisans used agate as the base stone, and then embellished the beads lines and shapes using ancient methods that remain mysterious. Treatments may have included darkening with plant sugars and heat, bleaching and white line etching with natron, and protecting certain areas with grease, clay, wax or a similar substance. A hole was drilled before the bead was decorated as drilling caused most breakage during the production process, and holes were also useful for stringing and dipping numerous beads as a step in coloration. By the size of the drilled hole, and surface condition, as well as the condition of the white and black inlay, we believe it is fair to estimate Early to Mid 20th centur