Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, 28.5×14.3×8.6mm, irregular form (Ac-111720-7SOS)

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

The three dimensions of this bead are 28.5mm, 14.3mm, and 8.6mm, and the fact that none of those numbers describes a round cross-section is the first thing the photographs show you.

A standard Chung dzi fusiform is round or nearly round in cross-section: length, diameter, and that is all. This bead has a third dimension because the cross-section is substantially flattened, 14.3mm tall and only 8.6mm deep. The upper profile is more domed and prominent than the lower, creating an asymmetric silhouette that varies depending on which axis you hold the bead on. From one angle it reads as a wide, compressed oval; from another, as a narrower, taller shape. The bead sits slightly tilted in its natural resting position. This is not a flaw. It is the form the stone was cut from, and it is unlike the cross-section of any other Chung dzi in this collection.

Against this irregular body, seven etched stripe bands run across the surface in sandy-beige to warm off-white. The stripes are wide relative to the dark ground between them, which gives this bead a more stripe-dominant look than pieces where the dark ground dominates. The stripe surfaces carry the rough, granular matte texture of ancient etching that has aged into the stone's surface over five to eight centuries. The stripe edges are ragged and irregular; they do not have the clean, crisp edges of a younger etched piece. The ground zones are pitch-black to deep dark grey towards the ends, with a distinct translucent cool grey zone in the central body, where the agate's own colour shows through.

Within the sandy-beige stripe bands, multiple vivid rust-orange dot clusters are visible across all the side photographs. These are natural cinnabar inclusions (硃砂, zhūshā), the bloodspots, held within the agate itself beneath the stripe zones. Cinnabar ranges in colour from vermilion to rust-orange, and the inclusions on this bead sit at the rust-orange end of that range. They appear as discrete clusters of two to four dots, distributed across different stripe bands on several faces, and they are clearly visible in photographs taken from different angles.

No other seven stripe Chung dzi in this collection shares these characteristics. The Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, grey-black ground is a compact round-section fusiform with no bloodspots and a strictly grey, black and white palette. The ancient seven stripe beads of 1,000–1,500 years, the near pitch-black, warm honey-brown and dark brown pieces, are all standard round fusiform bodies without bloodspots. This bead stands alone: flattened asymmetric form, cinnabar beneath the stripe bands, and a translucent grey window through the dark ground.

The Seven Stripe Chung Dzi (瓊珠七線紋)

The Chung dzi (瓊珠) is the striped category of the dzi tradition. The stripe is the continuous line that does not end: the path that persists through every obstacle, and success that builds without interruption. Chung dzi are traditionally prized for protection and steady prosperity. Seven is a meaningful number in Tibetan and Buddhist tradition (seven offerings on the altar, the seven steps of the newborn Buddha), but the meaning of a Chung dzi comes from the stripe itself, not from the number of stripes. A seven stripe bead is no more powerful than a single stripe one. Choose the Chung dzi whose look feels balanced and pleasing to you. Read more in Chung Dzi: The Complete Guide to Striped Dzi Beads.

The cinnabar inclusions in this bead are natural minerals in the stone. They cannot be added after the bead is made, and in Tibetan tradition they are prized for their auspicious and protective associations. Bloodspots occur in beads of every age, so they are a feature to enjoy rather than a proof of age. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

Specifications

• Motif: Seven stripe Chung (七線紋); seven etched bands in sandy-beige to warm off-white, rough granular matte texture and ragged edges; pitch-black to deep dark grey ground; translucent cool grey central zone
• Length: 28.5mm
• Diameter: 14.3mm (height) × 8.6mm (depth, flattened cross-section)
• Form: Irregular asymmetric fusiform; flattened non-round cross-section; upper profile more domed than lower; slight natural tilt at rest
• Material: Natural agate; high gloss on the dark ground; matte and rough on the stripe surfaces
• Age estimate: Ancient, 500–800 years
• Condition: Fine surface crackline network on the central translucent zone (disclosed, Image 3); small pinhole in the upper right stripe band (disclosed, Image 2); no chips; no medicine digs
• Bloodspots: Yes. Rust-orange natural cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā) dot clusters held in the agate beneath the stripe bands, visible on several faces
• Product ID: Ac-111720-7SOS
• Collections: Chung Dzi | Original Ancient Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

Related Chung Dzi and Bloodspot Beads

Ancient (500+ years)

• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 39.3×13.9mm, cool grey-black ground
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 49.4×11.9mm, near pitch-black ground
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 49.1×12.8mm, warm honey-brown agate
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 48.2×12.4mm, warm dark brown agate
• Ancient Single Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, pitch-black and white
• Ancient Five Stripe Cho Dzi 措思天珠, milky translucent grey-white
• Ancient Double Wave Dzi with Extreme Bloodspots

Antique (100–500 years)

• Antique Nine Stripe Chung Dzi with Bloodspots, pitch-black ground
• Pair of Antique Nine Stripe Chung Dzi Beads
• Antique Five Stripe Chung Dzi, warm terracotta agate
• Antique Single Stripe Bow-shaped Chung Dzi, tricolour agate
• Antique Wave and Stripe Dzi with Bloodspots
• Antique Wave and Stripe Dzi, chocolate-brown agate

From the blog

• Chung Dzi: The Complete Guide to Striped Dzi Beads
• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads
• How to Wear and Care for a Dzi Bead

Seven stripes, three dimensions, and cinnabar held in the stone beneath the bands.

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