Triple Longevity Motif, 75.3×8.2mm, pitch-black agate (Ac-062926-3LG)

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

The motif lines on this bead are not white. They are a warm tan, softened over some fifteen centuries, while the pitch-black ground around them has barely aged at all.

This ancient longevity dzi measures 75.3mm × 8.2mm — a long, exceptionally slender barrel with sharply tapered ends, almost pencil-like in its fineness. Estimated at 1,500–2,000 years old, it is among the oldest pieces in our collection, made when the dzi tradition was still young along the Himalayan and Central Asian trade routes.

The ground is a deep, smooth pitch-black that has kept its gloss remarkably well — note the highlight along the crown in Image 3. The motif tells a different story: the warm sandy-tan to old-gold lines of the longevity pattern are softened and granular at the edges, the natural result of very long age. This is not damage; it is time made visible.

The Triple Longevity design runs in three zones along the bead, separated by stripe dividers. Each zone carries the interlocking cell pattern of the tortoise shell, and across the full 75mm the three read as one continuous rhythm. There are no cracks or chips in any of the photographs, including the drill-end views (Images 4 and 5), and the ends taper cleanly.

The Longevity Motif

The Longevity dzi (壽字天珠 / 龜甲天珠) takes its pattern from the tortoise shell, one of Asia's oldest symbols of long life. The tortoise, carrying its home and living for centuries, stands for long life, good health and lasting protection. A triple-zone design carries that meaning across the whole bead.

Specifications

• Motif: Triple Longevity (壽字天珠 / 龜甲天珠); three zones of tortoise shell cells with stripe dividers
• Length: 75.3mm
• Diameter: 8.2mm
• Form: Long, slender tapered barrel with pointed ends
• Material: Agate, pitch-black with warm tan motif
• Age: Ancient, estimated 1,500–2,000 years
• Condition: No cracks or chips; softened, granular motif lines consistent with great age
• Bloodspots: None
• Product ID: Ac-062926-3LG
• Collection: Ancient Dzi Beads

You May Also Like

• Ancient Longevity Tortoise Shell Dzi (Ac-031323-LON)
• Antique Longevity Tortoise Shell Dzi (At-0426-LON2)
• New Longevity Dzi Pair, Antique-Style Finish (N-FA-062626-LG)
• Antique Nine Eye Dzi with Bloodspots, 77mm (At-062926-9EBS)

Further Reading

• Where Do Dzi Beads Come From?
• Real vs Fake Dzi Beads: The Collector's Guide

Four unretouched photographs: one display shot and three on a white background, including two angled views of the drill ends.