Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 45.2×14.1mm, pitch-black ground, pure white stripes, bicolour end caps (N-050222-7SChung)

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

The two end caps of this bead are not the same colour — and that difference, which comes entirely from the natural agate, is visible in every photograph that shows both ends at once.

The left end cap (Image 6) is a warm medium brown with natural concentric banding lines running around the tip — orange-brown striations in the agate that are part of how this particular stone was formed. The right end cap (Image 5) is a cool milky grey to pale grey-white — a different zone of the same agate source material, translucent and luminous. Between these two differently-coloured tips runs the stripe zone: a pitch-black ground carrying bright white to silvery-white alkaline-etched stripe bands in a sharp, high-contrast composition.

That contrast — the pure black ground, the pure white stripes — is the defining visual character of this bead. The ancient and antique Chung dzi in the collection carry ground colours that have been modified by age: dark grey-browns, warm chocolates, translucent olive tones, weathered surfaces. This bead carries a pitch-black ground that reads as clean and absolute, and white stripe bands that are bright and crisp rather than weathered and granular. The stripe edges are sharp. The surface is a mirror-gloss finish — catching studio light as broad specular reflections across the white zones and deep, light-absorbing black across the dark zones.

This is a new Chung dzi, crafted in Taiwan after the year 2000. It is listed and described as such — there is no ambiguity about its age or origin. The collecting case for a new Chung dzi rests on different ground than it does for an ancient or antique piece: the motif, the material, and the craftsmanship stand as they are, without centuries of age behind it. What this bead offers is the seven-stripe composition in the clearest possible material statement — the motif at maximum contrast, on a natural agate with genuinely distinct end cap colours that make it more visually interesting than many standard new pieces. The body form is a symmetrical elongated fusiform, 45.2×14.1mm, with small centrally placed drill holes at both tips.

For collectors who already own ancient and antique Chung dzi and want to understand how the same motif reads in a modern context — or for those beginning their engagement with the tradition and seeking an accessible entry point — this bead makes a direct comparison possible. The ancient pieces in the collection — Ac-031322-7SChung (Ancient Seven Stripe, Warm Brown, 59.7mm), Ac-101922-7SChung (Ancient Seven Stripe, Grey-Black), and Ac-111720-7SOS (Ancient Seven Stripe, Bloodspots, Odd Form) — each carry the surface evidence of their age. This piece does not, and does not claim to. What it carries is the motif itself, rendered clearly.

The Seven Stripe Motif — 瓊珠七線紋

Seven is among the most cosmologically significant numbers in Tibetan and Buddhist tradition — seven offerings on the altar, seven steps of the newborn Buddha, seven branches of devotional prayer. A seven-stripe Chung dzi (瓊珠七線紋) carries seven unbroken circuits of protection around its body, associated with continuous fortune, completeness of sacred number, and the accumulation of merit. The motif does not require age to carry meaning in Tibetan and Himalayan tradition — the composition and the stone are the foundation, and both are present here.

Motif: Seven stripe (七線紋); seven alkaline-etched horizontal bands; pure bright white to silvery-white stripes; pitch-black ground; sharp crisp stripe edges; maximum contrast composition
Length: 45.2mm
Diameter: 14.1mm
Form: Symmetrical elongated fusiform; even bilateral taper; small centrally placed drill holes at both tips; mirror-gloss surface throughout
Material: Natural agate; pitch-black alkaline-etched ground zone; bright white alkaline-etched stripe bands; left end cap — warm medium brown with natural orange-brown concentric banding; right end cap — cool milky pale grey-white translucent agate
Age: New — crafted in Taiwan, post-2000
Condition: Perfect — no chips, no cracks, no surface damage, no weathering; mirror-gloss surface throughout
Bloodspots: None
Product ID: N-050222-7SChung
Collection: New Dzi Beads | Chung Dzi

You may also like:

• Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 48.2 × 12.4mm, warm dark brown agate, scratch marks disclosed (Ac-080620-7SChung) — $5,000.00
• Ancient Seven Stripe Chung Dzi, 39.3×13.9mm, cool grey-black ground, silvery grey-white stripes (Ac-101922-7SChung) — $2,000.00

From the blog:

• Chung Dzi Meaning: A Guide to Striped Dzi
• How to Tell Real vs. Fake Dzi Beads

The motif at maximum contrast. The two ends do not match. The agate decided that.

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

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