Ancient Etched Carnelian Cross, Stars & Tiger Tooth Motif Bead — 20.5 mm, 500–700 Years (AC-101026-CM3)

We never retouch our photos. What you see is exactly what you will receive.

This bead is a flat diamond — a rhombus tablet 20.5mm long and 6.0mm thick, drilled through its two narrow points. It is not a barrel dzi but a tablet meant to hang as a pendant or lie flat on a strand, with its decorated face turned outward. The diamond outline is unusual in etched carnelian, where barrels and oblongs dominate, and it frames the design on each face like a panel.

Both faces carry the same rich composite design. At the centre sits a cross with four equal arms in cream-white on deep amber-red carnelian, with four small dots between the arms giving it a star-like quality. From each of the four corners an angular tiger tooth V points inward, framing the cross. The two faces are similar but not identical — line weights, dot placement and bracket angles vary slightly, as in any hand-made piece.

The carnelian is a warm, deep amber-red to sienna, even across the whole body, with a high-gloss polish smoothed by centuries of handling. The inside of the drill hole shows the same warm amber, confirming the colour runs naturally through the stone.

Condition is excellent for its age: no cracks, no chips, clean drill holes, and the decoration intact on both faces.

The Cross, Stars and Tiger Tooth Motif

The cross is one of the earliest universal symbols on etched carnelian, older than Buddhist imagery and shared by the bead-making cultures of the Indus Valley, Central Asia and the Himalayan trade routes. It stands for the four directions, the meeting of heaven and earth and the still centre from which all directions extend. The dots around it add points of light — a small map of the heavens. The corner tiger teeth bring protection, strength and the power to guard what lies at the centre. Together: the centre held, the directions mapped, the edges guarded.

Specifications

• Motif: Cross with four star dots and four corner tiger tooth brackets, on both faces
• Length: 20.5mm (point to point)
• Width: 13.5mm
• Thickness: 6.0mm
• Form: Flat diamond (rhombus) tablet
• Material: Natural carnelian, deep amber-red to sienna, with cream-white decoration
• Age: Ancient, estimated 500–700 years
• Condition: Excellent; no cracks or chips; clean drill holes; high-gloss polish
• Bloodspots: None
• Product ID: Ac-101026-CM3
• Collection: Ancient Dzi Beads | Carnelian Dzi

You May Also Like

• Ancient Etched Carnelian Eight Cross Bead (Ac-100126-CM8)
• Ancient Etched Carnelian Six Cross and Longevity Bead (Ac-101026-CL6)
• Ancient Etched Carnelian Tortoise Shell Longevity Bead (Ac-101026-CM2)
• Ancient Carnelian Starburst Bead (Ac-101026-CS)

Further Reading

• Carnelian Dzi Beads: The Pema Raka Guide
• Where Do Dzi Beads Come From?

Four unretouched photographs: both decorated faces and two side views showing the flat profile and drill holes.