Single Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, 31.4 × 9.6mm, pitch-black and white, calcified end (Ac-061426-1SChungBS)

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

The two ends of this bead have lived different lives, and the photographs show exactly what that means.

The left end cap is bright white, smooth, polished and intact — the original surface preserved. The right end tells the opposite story: a deep mosaic of calcification, raised cream-white mineral deposits cracked into a tortoiseshell network across the whole right face and end cap. Both ends are shown fully (Images 2–4 and 9–10). One end preserved, one transformed by time.

Within the calcified zone, the close-ups (Images 2 and 3) show small reddish-brown dots near the boundary with the dark body. These are natural cinnabar (朱砂) bloodspot inclusions within the agate — several clearly visible as distinct vermilion to reddish-brown spots. The calcification has partly framed them, making them easier to see than they would be on an unweathered surface. Bloodspots are a natural feature of the stone and add to its appeal, though they are not in themselves proof of age. See our bloodspots guide.

The central body is a deep, saturated pitch-black with no brown undertone (Images 5–8), high-gloss and polished all the way around. The single stripe Chung design reads as one long dark band across most of the bead, between the white left cap and the calcified right cap. On the left the white fades softly into black (Image 7); on the right the calcification blurs the boundary.

The form is a short, wide barrel rather than a tapered spindle: near-parallel sides, flat end faces and an even round cross-section. At 31.4mm × 9.6mm it is compact and dense in the hand — a distinctive ancient form.

The right drill hole sits within the calcification (Image 4) but remains centred and usable. The left drill hole (Image 10) shows a warm yellowish-tan interior.

The Single Stripe Chung Dzi

The Chung dzi (瓊珠) is the striped family of the dzi tradition, where a dark body against white ends creates the stripe. One dark band between two white ends is the simplest Chung form: a single, undivided statement. The single stripe stands for the unbroken line — success that does not pause and a path that holds its direction. With Chung dzi, the number of stripes is a matter of character, not strength; the right bead is the one that pleases its owner. The calcification here is not damage but the surface record of the bead's long history.

Specifications

• Motif: Single stripe Chung (一條瓊珠); pitch-black central band between a white left cap and a calcified right cap
• Length: 31.4mm
• Diameter: 9.6mm
• Form: Short, wide barrel with flat end faces
• Material: Natural agate; pitch-black body, bright white left cap, heavily calcified right cap
• Age: Ancient, estimated 1,500–2,000 years
• Condition: Extensive mosaic calcification on the right end (Images 2, 3, 4, 9); right drill hole intact; minor surface mark on the left cap near the hole (Image 8); no cracks or medicine digs; body and left cap intact
• Bloodspots: Yes — Light; distinct reddish-brown cinnabar dots within the right cap area (Images 2 and 3)
• Product ID: Ac-061426-1SChungBS
• Collection: Ancient Dzi Beads | Chung Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi Beads

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Further Reading

• Chung Dzi Meaning: The Striped Dzi Guide
• Real vs Fake Dzi Beads: The Collector's Guide

One stripe. One end preserved, one end transformed by time. Both photographed exactly as they are.