Triple Vajra Motif, 42.8×12.1mm, cream & dark brown agate (At-070626-3VjBS)

Every piece at Ancient Dzi Shop is photographed without digital retouching: what you see is exactly what you receive.

On most dzi beads the ground is dark and the motif lines are white. On this one it is reversed: the cream zones fill most of each face, and the three vajras sit within them as dark inlaid shapes. The warm reddish-orange cast across the cream comes from natural cinnabar held within the agate.

This antique Tibetan dzi carries a triple vajra motif, three dorje (thunderbolt) forms in sequence around the bead, in an inverse palette that sets it apart from most triple vajra dzi. Cream-white dominates, with broad ivory bands running the full length of each face and the dark brown vajra arms appearing as embedded forms within them rather than etched lines on a dark ground. The effect is of three dorje held within the stone rather than drawn across it.

At 42.8×12.1mm, this is a well-proportioned antique barrel with a gently tapered profile. Both end caps are cream-white agate with small centred holes and a high-gloss surface. Age-appropriate edge wear is present at the shoulder of one drill end, with a fine hairline visible in the same zone in the macro photographs; both are disclosed and visible in Images 9 and 11. No structural cracks are visible.

The bloodspot photographs (Images 9–12) show why the warm terracotta cast is so visible even in the body shots: the cinnabar in the cream zones is not limited to dots or clusters but spreads throughout the white banding along the whole bead, giving the cream a warm reddish-orange blush. Individual reddish-brown micro-dots are also visible within that field in Image 10. These are natural cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā) inclusions held in the agate. Learn more in our guide to bloodspots in dzi beads.

The Triple Vajra Motif

The vajra, dorje in Tibetan, is the defining implement of the Vajrayana tradition: indestructible, cutting through delusion as diamond cuts lesser materials, embodying the fierce compassion of the awakened mind. A triple vajra extends this force across past, present, and future and across the three realms of existence, inviting the vajra's protection and transforming power to accompany the wearer. Read more in Dzi Motifs and Their Interpretations.

Specifications

• Motif: Triple Vajra (Triple Dorje)
• Length: 42.8mm
• Diameter: 12.1mm
• Form: Barrel
• Material: Natural agate
• Age estimate: Antique, 200–300 years
• Condition: Good; age-appropriate edge wear at one drill-end shoulder; fine hairline in the same zone, disclosed (Images 9 and 11); no structural cracks visible
• Bloodspots: Extreme; natural cinnabar throughout the cream-white zones as a warm reddish-orange blush, with individual micro-dots
• Product ID: At-070626-3VjBS
• Collections: Antique Dzi | Bloodspot Dzi

Related Dzi

• Antique Triple Vajra Dzi with Bloodspots, 48.6mm, very dark brown
• Vintage Triple Vajra Dzi with Bloodspots
• Antique Nine Eye Dzi, 54.2mm, medicine dig
• Antique Nine Eye Dzi, 54.8mm, dark brown agate
• Antique Eight Eye Dzi, 53.4mm

From the blog

• Bloodspots in Dzi Beads
• Where Do Dzi Beads Come From?

This bead is offered as found: photographed honestly, described completely.

All photos are unretouched. Natural lighting. No filters applied.