Six Eye Dzi, 35.0mm × 12.1mm, pale warm-brown agate, cinnabar bloodspots (At-092823-6EBS3)

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

This is the shortest six eye in the collection, and the palest. The agate is a warm, soft brown that makes the eye rings glow rather than contrast.

Most dzi beads show pale motif lines on a dark ground. This bead is different: the agate is a warm pale brown, closer to faded tan than deep chocolate, so the six eyes sit within a light stone. On the lighter faces (Images 7 and 11) the bead reads almost entirely pale, with dark pupils floating in soft cream-tan rings. On the darker faces (Images 8 and 9) deep near-black zones take over and the contrast is more conventional. The pale tone is not fading — it is the natural colour of this piece of agate.

At 35.0mm × 12.1mm this is the most compact six eye in the collection: a wide, rounded barrel rather than an elongated spindle. It sits full and solid in the hand.

The eye rings are soft and graduated, blending gently into the ground rather than ending in hard edges, which gives each eye a worn, natural look in keeping with its age. The end caps (Images 10 and 11) are a warm peach-cream, and the drill holes are small and clean. Fine crackle lines and surface texture run across the body (Images 2, 3 and 4) — honest wear from long handling.

Bloodspots

The microscope images (Images 5 and 6) show the cinnabar (朱砂) bloodspots clearly. These are natural mineral inclusions within the agate itself. Here they gather most densely along the boundary between each eye ring and the darker agate, as warm rust-orange to golden-brown granular clusters that trace the edge of the eyes, with scattered single dots across the paler zones. The inclusions are slightly larger and more granular than the fine pinpoint dots seen on many beads. Bloodspots are part of the stone's natural character; they add to a bead's appeal, but they are not in themselves proof of age. Learn more in our bloodspots guide.

The Six Eye Motif

The Six Eye dzi (六眼天珠) is associated in Tibetan Buddhist tradition with release from the six realms of samsara, the cycle of existence that holds all sentient beings. Each eye is linked to one realm, offering protection and the possibility of liberation from it. The Six Eye is also traditionally worn for wellbeing and to turn away misfortune.

Specifications

• Motif: Six Eye (六眼); open-ring eyes with dark oval centres and soft, graduated rings
• Length: 35.0mm
• Diameter: 12.1mm
• Form: Compact, wide rounded barrel
• Material: Pale warm-brown agate with darker near-black zones on two faces; warm peach-cream end caps
• Age: Antique, estimated 200–400 years
• Condition: No cracks; fine crackle lines and surface texture throughout; minor surface digs consistent with age
• Bloodspots: Yes — Prominent; rust-orange to golden-brown cinnabar, seen under magnification (Images 5 and 6)
• Product ID: At-092823-6EBS3
• Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Bloodspot Dzi Beads

You May Also Like

• Antique Six Eye Dzi Bead with Bloodspots (At-082624-6EBS)
• Antique Eight Eye and Tiger Tooth Dzi with Extreme Bloodspots (At-0426-8ETT)
• Antique Six Eye Lotus Motif Dzi Bead (TiD-SiEL)

Further Reading

• The Six Eye Dzi Bead: Symbolism and Significance
• Dzi Bead Motifs and Their Meanings

The shortest six eye in the collection, in the palest agate, with natural cinnabar tracing the edge of every eye.