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  • Ancient etched carnelian bead AC-101226-EC, first lateral profile showing eight-sided faceted barrel form with silver-white lime etching and diamond-eye geometric motif on warm reddish-brown carnelian ground, 700–1000 years old
  • Second lateral profile of ancient etched carnelian bead showing reverse face with grid and band motif etching on warm amber-brown carnelian, octagonal faceted body with crystalline white etched surface, 31.1 mm × 10.4 mm
  • Third lateral profile of ancient etched carnelian bead AC-101226-EC showing diamond lozenge motif units with vertical band separators on eight-sided faceted barrel, warm reddish-brown carnelian ground, 700–1000 years old
  • Fourth lateral profile of ancient etched carnelian bead showing horizontal band-dominant face with partial geometric motif elements, silver-white etching on deep amber-brown carnelian, octagonal faceted form
  • Opposite angled end view of ancient etched carnelian bead showing second drill hole in warm carnelian tip, full octagonal end face visible, crystalline white etching bands across faceted body, 700–1000 years old
  • Angled end view of ancient etched carnelian bead AC-101226-EC showing drill hole aperture in warm reddish-orange carnelian tip, octagonal cross-section visible, silver-white etching bands along faceted barrel body
  • Macro close-up of ancient etched carnelian bead AC-101226-EC showing drill hole in warm amber-red carnelian tip, transition from etched motif bands to plain carnelian tip face, surface mineral texture detail
  • Macro detail of ancient etched carnelian bead showing octagonal faceted body with crystalline white lime etching, crafting-era indentation in carnelian surface covered by etching, confirming divot predates decoration, 700–1000 years old
  • Extreme macro close-up of ancient etched carnelian bead AC-101226-EC showing granular crystalline texture of silver-white lime etching against warm translucent amber-brown carnelian ground, 700–1000 years old
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Ancient Dzi Shop

Ancient Four Diamond Eye Carnelian Bead — Eight-Sided Faceted Barrel 31.1 mm 700–1000 Years (AC-101226-EC)

Ancient Four Diamond Eye Carnelian Bead — Eight-Sided Faceted Barrel 31.1 mm 700–1000 Years (AC-101226-EC)

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

This bead measures 31.1mm long and 10.4mm at its widest, and its most striking feature is its shape. Instead of the round or oval cross-section of most ancient beads, it is an octagonal barrel — eight flat faces running its full length, meeting in crisp ridges. Each face had to be ground flat and aligned with the others before any decoration began. The result is angular and geometric even before you look at the motif, and the play between the flat planes and the design across them gives the bead a complexity round beads do not have.

The carnelian is a warm reddish-brown to deep amber, with a translucency that shows in direct light and a depth photographs only partly capture. Carnelian of this colour was highly prized in ancient Central and South Asia, and the extra work of faceting it into eight sides reflects the quality of the stone.

The decoration is silver-white, made by the classic etched carnelian technique — an alkaline paste applied to the stone, fired and rinsed to leave the design permanently white. Under magnification (Image 9) it has a granular, crystalline texture, slightly raised and rougher than the polished ground. The motif is geometric: diamond and lozenge units framed by vertical bands between the facets and horizontal bands at each end. On the main faces the diamonds hold eye-like shapes; on the others they become grids and bands. The full design rewards turning the bead in the hand.

There is a shallow natural hollow in the carnelian (Image 8). The decoration runs over it without interruption, showing it was already in the stone when the bead was made — the maker worked with the stone's natural character rather than discarding it. It is not later damage.

Both drill holes sit in plain carnelian at the tips and are clear and usable.

Ancient Etched Carnelian

Etched carnelian is among the oldest continuously made decorated beads in the world, produced from the Indus Valley civilisation onward. The technique was developed in the third millennium BCE and continued across Central and South Asia through the medieval period. These beads were both trade goods and personal ornaments, found from the Arabian Peninsula to Southeast Asia. Their geometric designs — diamonds, lozenges, eyes and bands — carried meanings of protection and good fortune that varied by culture, but the beads were everywhere recognised as objects of value and meaning.

Specifications

  • Motif: Geometric diamonds and lozenges with eye shapes, grids and bands; silver-white etched decoration
  • Length: 31.1mm
  • Diameter: 10.4mm
  • Form: Eight-sided faceted barrel
  • Material: Natural carnelian, warm reddish-brown to deep amber
  • Age: Ancient, estimated 700–1,000 years
  • Condition: Good; decoration intact on all faces; one natural hollow present before decoration (Image 8); both drill holes usable
  • Bloodspots: None
  • Product ID: Ac-101226-EC
  • Collection: Ancient Dzi Beads | Carnelian Dzi

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Further Reading

Nine unretouched photographs: four side views, two angled views of the drill ends and octagonal cross-section, and three close-ups of the drill tip, the natural hollow and the crystalline decoration.

$3,000.00 USD
$3,000.00 USD
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