New Double Longevity Motif Dzi Bead with Bloodspots (N-062226-DLBS)

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

The motif on this bead does not read as lines. It reads as cells, and the cells cover everything.

From end to end, the surface of this elongated fusiform agate is covered in a continuous hexagonal and polygonal cell grid, the Double Longevity or Tortoise Shell motif, wrapping the body without interruption across every face. There is no blank ground, no connector stripe, no unmarked end zone. Warm dusty rose-cream etched lines form the cell borders from tip to tip, dividing the surface into dozens of interlocking zones that shift subtly in shape as the bead curves toward its pointed ends.

The ground is a warm medium-to-dark brown, varying as agate does, slightly deeper on some faces and a lighter honey-brown where the natural banding of the stone comes closer to the surface (Images 4 to 6). The cell lines are a muted, slightly pinkish warm tone, distinct from the motif colours of the other new dzi in the collection.

The form is an elongated fusiform tapering sharply to both ends, 58.1mm long and 13.1mm in diameter, with a high-gloss surface and small centred drill holes at each tip (Images 7 and 8). No cracks or chips are visible. Several small surface pits from crafting are visible up close, none structural.

This bead is newly crafted within the last twenty years from natural agate using the traditional dzi crafting technique. It is not an antique or ancient bead.

The macro photographs in Images 2 and 3 are striking. Under magnification, the natural cinnabar inclusions in the cream motif zones appear as bright orange-red to brick-red fragments, angular and irregular, scattered densely across the pale cells, with a concentrated cluster at the centre of Image 3. Sparser dots extend into the boundary between motif and ground.

Cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā) is a natural mineral inclusion within the agate. It cannot be added to a bead, and it occurs in new beads as well as old ones, so it is a feature of the stone rather than a sign of age. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

The Double Longevity Motif

The Tortoise Shell or Longevity motif (長壽紋) takes its form from the hexagonal pattern of the tortoise's shell, one of the most ancient symbols of long life and endurance in East Asian and Tibetan culture. The tortoise is said to carry the world on its back, and the hexagonal grid derived from its shell has long symbolised long life, stability, and merit built over time. On this bead the motif covers both main faces: longevity stated twice, in every direction. Read more in Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations.

Specifications

• Motif: Double Longevity / Double Tortoise Shell (雙長壽紋); continuous hexagonal and polygonal cell grid covering the full body
• Length: 58.1mm
• Diameter: 13.1mm
• Form: Elongated fusiform, sharply tapering to both ends
• Material: Natural agate; warm medium-to-dark brown ground with honey-brown banding; warm dusty rose-cream motif lines
• Age: New, crafted within the last 20 years
• Condition: No cracks or chips; high-gloss surface; small surface pits; both drill holes intact
• Bloodspots: Prominent; bright orange-red to brick-red natural cinnabar within the cream motif zones (Images 2 and 3)
• Product ID: N-062226-DLBS
• Collections: New & Vintage Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

You may also like

• New Twelve Eye Dzi with Bloodspots
• New Double Heaven and Earth Dzi with Bloodspots
• New Tiger Tooth and Six Eye Lotus Dzi Bead

From the blog

• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads
• Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations

Every cell of this motif carries the same wish, and there are no gaps between them.

📷 We never retouch our photos. Every bead is photographed exactly as it is. What you see is what you receive.