Tibetan Dzi Beads Rush In Malaysia

According to local Dzi beads enthusiast Lei, the Dzi beads have been in existence in this country since five or six years ago. However, the Dzi beads were not that popular here as compared to crystals at that time.

Lei believes Dzi beads are a precious jewellery that posses the power of bringing good fortune to the owners, such as protection from ill luck, prosperity, wealth, good health and ward off the evil.

The authentic ancient Tibetan Dzi beads are very hard to find today as they are all in the hands of people who really treasure the stones. This shows the value of the "Heavenly eyes."

Because of this, counterfeit Dzi beads have been produced by irresponsible businessmen trying to make some quick bucks by faking the Dzi beads. Old beads are those which have been etched for more than a hundred years and are believed to radiate stronger "good" energy. The difference between new and old piece lies in the age of the etchings.

Dzi beads were first discovered in the Tibetan Plateau and have played a very important role in the Tibetan culture for the past two thousand years. They are precious possessions for the Tibetan people, and there are so many fascinating stories around their mystical powers.

Formed under the earth long, long ago, Dzi beads are patterned agate beads mainly cylindrical or tabular in shape with symbols consisting of circles, ovals, squares, wavelines, stripes various other symbolic patterns which carry some specific meanings with different numbers of eyes etched on the beads.

Lei believes the nine eyes beads have given him blessings with so many positive attributes associated with them. As a result, he has been inspired to travel all the way to Tibet to collect Dzi beads of other patterns. Today, Lei even has his own store selling Dzi beads to people who are interested in the stones with the hope of sharing the good fortune with others.

Fake beads

Fake Dzi beads that are found in the market are mostly made of plastic, pottery or glass. To verify the authenticity of the beads, we need to look through the hole and check the colour of the inner part of the stone. If it is white in colour, the Dzi bead is authentic.

Lei also says the Dzi beads sold at very cheap prices at roadside stalls are mostly counterfeit.

About Dzi beads

Q: Where are the origins of Dzi beads?

A: Dzi beads are mostly found in eastern Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh and the Himalayan mountains.

Q: What kind of power do the Dzi beads possess?

A: According to the experts of precious stones, the Dzi beads are second hardest substance in the world after diamond, and are therefore also known as "semi diamond" in Tibet.

Q: How do we differentiate between new and ancient Dzi beads?

A: Based on the age of etchings.

Source: Sin Chew

Dzi bead (pronounced "zee"; alternative spelling: gzi). The meaning of the Tibetan word "dzi" translates to "shine, brightness, clearness, splendor". In Chinese, the bead is called "heaven's bead" or "heaven's pearl".

Dzi is a bead stone of mysterious origin worn as part of a necklace and sometimes as a bracelet. In several Asian cultures, including that of Tibet, the bead is considered to provide positive spiritual benefit. These beads are generally prized as protective amulets and are sometimes ground up into a powder to be used in traditional Tibetan medicine. Beads subject to this process have small "dig marks" where a portion of the bead has been scraped or shaved away to be ground into the medicine.

Beads that are broken are believed to have a diluted benefit, because they have taken the brunt of the force that it is assumed would have otherwise impacted the wearer.

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