Aug. 25, 2025
Share
A 10-Year Journey of Dzi Bead Collection in Tibetan Areas
Take you to understand the true purity of dzi beads
No middlemen
Just the "transporters" of dzi beads
Dzi beads, from their earliest appearance to the present day, have always been a mysterious existence. Mysterious Buddhist legends and devout religious beliefs have shrouded these "divine beads left by heaven" in layers of mystery.
The appreciation and collection of cultural artifacts has existed since ancient times. Stimulated by the combined economic and cultural development of contemporary China, the enthusiasm for collecting these items is gradually reviving, with dzi beads, as a top-tier collectible, beginning to emerge in the collecting world.
As early as 2009, at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction, a "Mitsubishi Guardian Dzi Bead" set a domestic auction record for dzi beads at 80 million yuan, becoming a veritable "King of Beads."
Data shows that from 2004 to 2009, in just five years, the auction price of dzi beads increased more than 1,000 times. This is why dzi beads have become a favorite among an increasing number of collectors.
Nine-eyed clavicle necklace dzi bead: a symbol of lasting blessings and wisdom, good fortune, peace, and wealth.
Nine-eyed Dzi Bead
A Thousand-Year-Old Pure Two-Eyed Dzi Bead
While dzi beads are highly prized, the market is plagued by chaos. A single dzi bead can easily be resold multiple times, fetching prices of tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. Worse still, some unscrupulous individuals, blinded by greed, forge and artificially age dzi beads, counterfeiting them as genuine Tibetan antiques. Ordinary enthusiasts often struggle to distinguish the real from the fake, easily falling victim to scams.
Whenever I encounter such situations, I am heartbroken and wish I could impart all my knowledge to the world, ensuring that no one in the world is ever deceived again…
My name is Bozi, and I'm the founder of Pujie Club.
I became acquainted with dzi beads in 2010. Over the past decade, I've witnessed the rise and fall of the Tibetan antique industry and encountered too many unspoken rules unseen by those outside the industry. Although I'm not a native Tibetan, after so many years nurtured by this land, I have a deep, almost homeless, affection for this pristine region.
Because of my long-term interaction with dzi beads, I possess extensive knowledge about them. Friends often consult me about dzi beads and ask me about product knowledge, thus making many like-minded friends. I also regularly share my experiences in identifying and appreciating dzi beads and other Tibetan antiques.
When discussing dzi beads with friends, I've noticed that many people have been influenced by merchants' "educational" claims, instilling many misconceptions that are considered "common sense" by experts. This has led to a significant misunderstanding of dzi beads over time. Today, I'll share three of the most common misconceptions to help everyone rediscover the true value of dzi beads.
Myth 1:
There is no distinction between real and fake Dzi beads, only between new and old.
This concept is often used by vendors selling newly made imitation Dzi beads. It sounds reasonable at first glance, but the truth is quite the opposite. Dzi beads are only distinguished by authenticity, not by age.
A genuine Dzi bead is an antique over a thousand years old.
Four-eyed dzi bead clavicle chain - antique and oily
Here's another close-up: the patina is rich and the weathering is natural.
However, many merchants who make and sell new imitation dzi beads have fabricated this seemingly legitimate false claim to boost sales, misleading countless people for a long time.
Misconception Two:
Buying dzi beads from their original Tibetan origin guarantees authenticity.
Frankly, many people have this idea, always hoping to "find a bargain" in Tibet. Little do they know, "bargains often come with hidden costs." While it's true that Tibet has many good dzi beads, unscrupulous merchants certainly know this. Before you even arrive, they've already laid out their trap, holding indistinguishable fakes and using sweet talk to get you to hand over your money.
Unless you possess solid identification skills, along with good fortune and financial resources, I advise you to abandon your bargain-hunting mentality. Instead, observe, listen, and learn more to truly gain anything.
It might sound ridiculous, but when I was collecting dzi beads in the Tibetan region (pictured above), I boasted of my vast experience, yet I still fell for a scam. I bought a fake bead at a high price, and in my anger, I was rushed to the hospital for oxygen.
And that was in 2014! The dzi bead market has been in turmoil for years; you can imagine how chaotic it is now.
Misconception Three:
Buying from large department stores guarantees higher prices and greater security.
Many people believe that with a reputable museum as a guarantor, buying dzi beads there, even if more expensive, is definitely safe. This is not the case. Genuine dzi beads are never sold near museums. Much of the explanations within museums are simply a sales tactic…
One glance
It is especially effective in clearing the mind, bringing joy, and promoting intellectual growth. Single-eyed dzi beads are extremely rare.
Two eyes
May you live long and prosper together, like jade trees intertwined, a happy family, harmonious marriage, and the establishment of good interpersonal relationships.
The Three-Eyed One
symbolizes the perfection of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind; the protection of the Three Jewels; swift removal of all external and internal obstacles and hindrances; blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity; the illumination of auspicious stars; the pacification of obstacles; and continuous wealth. It is the wealth deity of Esoteric Buddhism!
Four-Eyed
The Four Great Bodhisattvas—Avalokiteshvara (Great Compassion), Manjushri (Great Wisdom), Ksitigarbha (Great Vow), and Samantabhadra (Great Practice)—remove obstacles, help one attain enlightenment, increase blessings and wisdom, represent fulfillment and success, and bring wealth. They also alleviate the four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death, harmonize the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, and eliminate calamities.
The Five Eyes
represent the gathering of the five wealth gods: Buddha, Lotus, Vajra, Ratnasambhava, and Karma, signifying boundless good fortune, auspiciousness, and joy.
Six Eyes
The human body's physiology is composed of the six elements: earth, fire, water, wind, space, and consciousness. It restores the physiological functions of the five internal organs, restores physical strength, liberates one from the suffering of the six realms, gradually increases the six perfections (paramitas), eliminates disasters and difficulties, brings good fortune, and symbolizes abundant and harmonious wealth.
Seven Eyes
The Seven Stars formation, blessed by the Medicine Buddha, signifies the continuous growth of the Dharma, great fortune, and the perfection of wisdom and blessings.
Eight Eyes
Represents the perfection of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, all things going smoothly, nobility and wealth, and the protection of the Eight Great Auspicious Symbols. It also signifies receiving the blessings of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, pacifying the eight kinds of harm, and attaining the Eightfold Path.
Nine eyes or more
Gathering the merits of the nine vehicles, increasing compassion, manifesting great authority, and bringing liberation from suffering and attainment of happiness. Possessing the supreme and noble aura, swiftly achieving success in all worldly and spiritual endeavors, it is the finest among dzi beads and can ward off all calamities.
Lotus
The lotus dzi bead symbolizes "purity and unblemishedness," representing supreme honor, freshness, peace, blessings of wisdom and fortune, and complete fulfillment. It signifies auspiciousness, nobility, fulfillment, and the growth of wealth.
Longevity Beads
Also known as "Bengxi Dzi Beads," these beads were originally used by the people of ancient India and Pakistan as amulets to ward off evil spirits. However, due to trade, they were passed down to the Chinese, and their value in different cultures was transformed into the meaning of longevity, like a tortoise shell, giving them new meanings and life.
Treasure Vase
Tibetan Buddhists believe its totem symbolizes the Western Lotus Family and also call it "Relic Dzi Bead". The Treasure Vase Dzi Bead is also known as the Eternal Life Vase Dzi Bead.
Related Articles
