Four Row Tiger Tooth Dzi Bead, 32.7×9.7mm, pitch-black agate with heavy calcification (Ac-071026-4TT)

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

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The calcification on this bead has not merely aged the surface — it has rebuilt it. Where the four rows of tiger teeth once sat as crisp etched lines, mineral deposits have accreted over centuries into raised, fractured plateaus that now sit proud of the original agate. Each face shows the process at a different stage: on one, the cream-white calcification forms near-continuous sheets; on another, the deposits are cracked into lifted plates with the pitch-black ground showing through the fissures. The chevrons are still there beneath it, still readable as four stacked rows running the length of the bead — but what the surface presents now is something else, a geological record laid over the original design.

The ground colour confirmed from all four white-background shots is a clean pitch-black. Where the original agate is exposed between calcification deposits, it holds its full depth — the black is not obscured or discoloured, which makes the contrast between ground and mineral accretion particularly sharp. The end caps are pitch-black and smooth, the drill holes small and clean on both ends.

The macro photographs show the character of the calcification in detail. The cream-to-silver-grey mineral surface is not flat: it is cracked into interlocking fragments at varying heights, with bright white at the peaks and darker grey-tan in the crevices between. This texture is the product of centuries of mineral movement within the stone — it is not a surface treatment and cannot be replicated. The four rows of tiger teeth can be traced as the organising structure beneath it, with the calcification heaviest along the raised chevron bands and the black ground more exposed in the valleys between.

Near one drill hole, a single reddish-brown inclusion is visible in the photographs — a small cinnabar bloodspot sitting within the agate itself, close to the end. It is discrete and does not extend across the body of the bead.

Structural condition is excellent. No cracks run through the body. The calcification is stable and the agate beneath it is intact. Minor weathering marks are present across the surface, consistent with a bead of this age and wear history.

The Tiger Tooth Motif

The tiger tooth (虎牙, hǔ yá) is one of the foundational motifs in the Tibetan dzi tradition. Arranged in rows, the chevron pattern is understood to carry protective energy — each tooth acting as a ward against negative forces and an amplifier of strength and courage. The four-row arrangement gives this bead a comprehensive, all-over motif coverage, with the pattern wrapping the entire circumference rather than being confined to a single face or register. In Tibetan belief, tiger tooth dzi beads are associated with the qualities of the tiger itself: fearlessness, vitality, and the power to repel harm.

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Specifications

Motif: Tiger Tooth — four rows, full circumference coverage
Length: 32.7mm
Diameter: 9.7mm
Form: Barrel
Material: Natural agate with heavy calcification
Age Estimate: 800–1,000 years
Condition: Excellent structural integrity. No cracks through the body. Extensive calcification across the full surface — age-consistent mineral accretion that has rebuilt and texturised the original etched lines. Minor weathering marks throughout.
Bloodspots: Single reddish-brown cinnabar inclusion near one drill hole, visible in photos
Product ID: Ac-071026-4TT
Collections: Ancient Dzi · All Products

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Further reading: What Gives Dzi Beads Value — and What to Be Careful Of · Where Do Dzi Beads Come From?

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Every piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is photographed unretouched and described exactly as found. What you see is what you will receive.

Photos: Unretouched images of the exact bead listed. Nine product photographs including four white-background lateral views, two angled views showing both drill ends, and three macro close-ups documenting calcification texture and the bloodspot inclusion near the drill hole.

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