Ancient Etched Carnelian Cross, Stars & Tiger Tooth Motif Bead — 20.5 mm, 500–700 Years (AC-101026-CM3)

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

The form is a flat diamond — a rhombus tablet, 20.5 mm wide and 6.0 mm thick, with its long axis running corner to corner and its drill hole passing through the two narrow ends. This is not the elongated barrel of a dzi bead. It is a tablet meant to be worn as a pendant or strung flat, so that the decorated face turns outward. The shape itself is unusual in the carnelian etching tradition: most beads are barrels or oblongs; the deliberate diamond outline here was a specific choice by the craftsman, and it frames the composition on each face like a panel.

Both faces carry the same composite motif, and the composition is dense for a bead of this size. At the center of each face sits a cross — four equal arms radiating outward, cream-white against the deep amber-red carnelian ground. Around the cross, four small circular dot accents are placed between the arms, giving the center an asterisk or star quality. At each of the four corners of the diamond, a tiger-tooth bracket element — an angular, open V-shape — points inward toward the center, framing the cross from the corners. The result is a layered symbolic composition: a central cross anchored by dot stars, bounded by four tiger-tooth forms, all within the diamond outline. The two faces are similar in composition but not identical — the freehand character of ancient etching means the line weights, dot placements, and bracket angles differ slightly between faces, as they would in any hand-worked piece.

The carnelian is a warm deep amber-red — a rich sienna tone, consistent in color across the full body. The surface carries a high-gloss polish that reflects light cleanly across the flat faces. Under close examination the polish has the character of centuries of handling: smooth and unified across the faces, with the drilled hole interior showing the same warm amber tone as the exterior, confirming the color is natural throughout the stone and not a surface treatment.

Condition is excellent for a piece of this age. No cracks. No chips. Both drill hole apertures are clean and well-formed. The etched lines are intact across both faces, with no erosion or fading of the cream-white motif against the amber ground.

The Cross, Stars & Tiger Tooth Motif

The cross is among the earliest universal symbols in the etched carnelian tradition — predating Buddhist iconography and shared across the ancient bead-making cultures of the Indus Valley, Central Asia, and the Himalayan trade routes. In the context of etched carnelian, the cross typically represents the four directions, the meeting of heaven and earth, and the center point of balance from which all directions extend. The dot or star accents around the cross arms amplify this cosmological reading: each dot a point of light or a planet, the full composition a map of celestial order fixed in stone. The tiger tooth elements at the four corners add a protective function to the composition — the tiger tooth motif is associated with focused power, warding, and the strength to defend what lies at the center. Together, the three elements form a complete symbolic statement: the center held, the directions mapped, the perimeter guarded.

Specifications

Motif: Cross, star dots & tiger tooth brackets — central cross with four dot accents; four corner tiger-tooth V-bracket elements; cream-white etched lines on deep amber carnelian; composition repeated on both diamond faces
Length: 20.5 mm (corner to corner)
Width: 13.5 mm
Thickness: 6.0 mm
Form: Flat diamond tablet (rhombus)
Material: Natural carnelian
Color: Deep amber-red to sienna carnelian ground; cream-white etched motif
Age Estimate: Ancient — 500–700 years
Condition: Excellent. No cracks, no chips. Both drill holes clean. High-gloss ancient polish throughout.
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: AC-101026-CM3
Collections: Ancient Dzi · All Products

Other ancient etched carnelian beads in the collection:

• AC-100126-CM8 — Ancient Carnelian Eight Cross Motif Bead, 22.9 mm
• AC-101026-CL6 — Ancient Carnelian Six Cross & Longevity Motif Bead, 27.0 mm
• AC-101026-CM2 — Ancient Carnelian Longevity Motif Bead with Bloodspots & Medicine Dig, 24.4 mm

Further reading: How to Identify Genuine Ancient Dzi Beads · Tibetan Dzi Beads: Luck, Fortune & Meaning

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. Four product photographs: two diamond-face views showing both decorated faces with the full cross, star dot, and tiger tooth composition; two end/side views showing the flat tablet profile and both drill hole apertures.

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