Nine Eye Dzi with Cinnabar Bloodspots, 41.3×14.5mm, Pitch-Black Agate (At-061926-9E6BS)

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

---

The bloodspots on this bead appear in two different places, and they look completely different in each one.

In the cream-white zones — the eye rings and connector bands — the cinnabar reads as warm rust-orange to terracotta-orange micro-speckles, scattered across the surface and just beneath it, visible to the naked eye and confirmed in the first macro photograph (Image 6). In the pitch-black ground zones, the same mineral takes a different form: in the second macro photograph (Image 7), small dark red-brown halos are visible within the black, inclusions pressing through from inside the stone rather than sitting on its surface. One mineral, two visual languages, one bead. That compound presentation has not appeared in any other nine-eye dzi in this collection.

The nine eyes are distributed five per lateral face — three in the upper register, two in the lower — connected by a continuous stepped S-meander running through the composition in angular, right-angled turns. Each eye is a fully closed concentric ring: bold cream-white outer ring, pitch-black interior, warm dark brown pupil at the centre. The meander connector between and around them is not a smooth wave but a stepped, angular line that reads almost architectural — a grid of right angles carrying the eye count across the face. The composition on Face B (Image 2) differs slightly from Face A in its central eye's ring definition, consistent with hand-applied ancient etching that never repeats exactly.

The ground of this bead is pitch-black — confirmed across all flat-lit white-background photographs. The motif lines are bright cream-white throughout. The end caps at both tips are warm sandy-tan, distinctly lighter in tone than the pitch-black body and warmer than the cream-white etching, providing a three-tone sequence from tip to field to motif that is visible from any angle. The drill holes at both tips are small, neat, and well-centred, with warm reddish-brown interiors visible in the angled photographs.

At 41.3×14.5mm, this bead is the most compact nine-eye in the collection by length and the widest by diameter. Every other antique nine-eye in this collection measures between 53.7mm and 59.0mm in length; this one is 41.3mm — significantly shorter, significantly wider, and as a result the motif wraps more tightly across a broader surface. The nine eyes occupy more of the visible face area relative to the connector bands, which changes how the composition reads: denser, more frontal, less sequential.

The macro photographs document the bead's surface in detail. At that scale, a fine network of micro-crack weathering lines is visible within the cream-white etching zones — not structural damage, but surface weathering of the etched layer over two to three centuries, consistent with the age range and confirming that the etching and the stone have aged together. A single surface pinhole is also visible near the upper boundary of Face B (Image 2). Both are disclosed.

Differentiation note: At-011625-9E (54.0mm), At-051525-9E2 (54.9mm), At-083025-9E3 (53.7mm), and At-012325-9E4 (59.0mm) — all four antique nine-eye beads in this collection are elongated fusiform beads 12–13mm in diameter. None carries bloodspots. At-061926-9E6BS is 41.3mm long and 14.5mm wide, compact and broad in form, and carries compound cinnabar bloodspot inclusions in both its cream and black zones. It is differentiated from every other nine-eye in this collection on form, scale, and surface character simultaneously.

---

The Nine Eye Motif

The nine-eye motif (九眼天珠, jiǔ yǎn tiānzhū) is among the most revered forms in Tibetan dzi tradition. Nine is considered the number of completion in Tibetan Buddhist cosmology — the highest single digit, representing the full accumulation of merit and awareness across all realms. A nine-eye dzi is understood to attract good fortune, remove obstacles, and provide the wearer with the combined protective force of all nine directional guardians simultaneously.

The cinnabar inclusions (硃砂, zhūshā) — mercuric sulfide — found within this bead carry their own significance in Tibetan sacred object traditions. Cinnabar has been used in ritual contexts across Himalayan and Chinese Buddhist practice for centuries. Its presence within an ancient dzi is understood as evidence of long contact with consecrated materials and practices, and is considered by collectors to be a primary authentication marker alongside surface weathering and drill hole character.

---

Specs

Motif: Nine Eye (九眼天珠, jiǔ yǎn tiānzhū); five fully closed concentric ring eyes per lateral face in 3+2 upper-lower distribution; continuous stepped right-angled S-meander connector running through all eye positions; warm dark brown pupil at centre of each eye ring
Length: 41.3mm
Diameter: 14.5mm
Form: Compact oval barrel/fusiform; widest-diameter nine-eye in the collection; significantly shorter and broader than all other antique nine-eye beads
Material: Natural agate; pitch-black ground; bright cream-white motif lines; warm sandy-tan end caps; warm reddish-brown drill hole interiors
Age Estimate: 200–300 years
Condition: Semi-gloss surface with age micro-texture; fine micro-crack weathering network visible in cream-white etching zones at macro scale (age-consistent, non-structural); single surface pinhole at upper boundary of Face B disclosed; both drill holes small, neat, well-centred
Bloodspots: Yes — compound dual presentation confirmed in macro photographs: (1) warm rust-orange to terracotta-orange cinnabar (硃砂, zhūshā) micro-speckles on and just beneath surface of cream-white eye rings and connector bands (Image 6); (2) dark red-brown cinnabar halo inclusions within pitch-black ground zones, visible as circular halos pressing through the black agate (Image 7)
Product ID: At-061926-9E6BS
Collection: Antique Dzi Beads | Nine Eye Dzi

---

Nine Eye Protection & Abundance

Nine-eye beads are the most sought-after form in dzi tradition for their comprehensive protective power. Collectors and practitioners pair them with complementary motifs: five-eye beads for prosperity amplification, eight-eye beads to clear remaining obstacles, and bloodspot examples for authentication and ceremonial intensity.

Ancient Nine Eye Dzi

Ancient Nine Eye Dzi Bead, 53.8×12.5mm, Dark Brown Agate, 500–800 Years (Ac-091626-9E) — $8000.00. Substantial form with museum-grade surface patina and complete age documentation. Cream-white motif on warm dark-brown ground; fully closed ring eyes distributed 5-4 per face with meander connector.

Ancient Nine Eye Dzi Bead, 54.0×14.5mm, Cream-White Agate, 800 Years (Ac-070926-9E) — $12000.00. Exceptional pale-ground example with distinctly warm golden-cream field; blue-toned etching lines; elongated fusiform; 500+ years documented provenance.

Antique Nine Eye Dzi with Bloodspots

Antique Nine Eye Motif with Bloodspots, 48.8×12.1mm, Dark Brown Agate (At-071426-9EBS2) — $3500.00. Extreme cinnabar saturation across all zones; pervasive speckled micro-bloodspots; 200–300 years. Collectors seeking complete mineral documentation choose this over bloodspot-free examples.

Antique Nine Eye Motif, 77.0×12.8mm, Deep Dark Brown Agate with Bloodspots (At-062926-9EBS) — $5800.00. The longest nine-eye in current stock; prominent cinnabar inclusions visible throughout motif and ground zones; rare elongated barrel form.

Antique Nine Eye Dzi, 54.8×12.5mm, Warm Dark Brown Agate, 200–400 Years (At-071326-9E) — $800.00. Classic elongated fusiform; warm chocolate-brown ground; cream-white motif; fully closed eyes with precise meander connector.

Antique Nine Eye Dzi Bead, 54.2×12.4mm, Dark Brown Agate, Medicine Dig Disclosed (At-091626-9E2) — $800.00. Authentic collection wear with disclosed medicine extraction mark; dark brown ground with crisp cream-white etching; 200–400 years documented age.

Antique Nine Eye Tibetan Dzi Bead, 54.8×12.6mm, Very Dark Brown Agate, 300–500 Years (At-071126-9E6) — $1700.00. Deep complex surface patina; subtle warm undertones in ground; elongated fusiform with honey-golden end caps; museum-quality condition.

New & Vintage Nine Eye Dzi

New Nine Eye Motif Dzi Bead, 57.7×12.9mm, Deep Cool Dark Grey-Black Agate Fusiform (N-062226-9E) — $200.00. Antique-style finish; crisp cream-white ring and meander motif; ideal entry for practice and meditation wear.

New Nine Eye Motif Dzi Bead, 58.6×12.9mm, Medium-Dark Warm Brown Agate, Matte Finish (N-062226-9E3) — $200.00. Warm chocolate-brown ground; pale cream-white closed concentric-ring eyes; distributed 5-4 per face; matte age-consistent surface.

New Nine Eye Dzi Bead with Bloodspots, 60.0×14.4mm, Pitch-Black Agate (N-082326-9EBS) — $250.00. Contemporary reproduction with pervasive micro-bloodspot inclusions; pitch-black ground; cream-white closed-ring eyes; accessible bloodspot documentation.

New Nine Eye Dzi Bead with Bloodspots, 60.4×14.5mm, Pitch-Black Agate, Blue-Grey Etching (N-082326-9EBS2) — $250.00. Cool-toned grey-blue motif lines on pitch-black ground; cinnabar bloodspots visible in macro detail; contemporary finish with mineral presence documented.

Companion Motifs for Nine Eye Practice

Antique Five Eye Motif, 39.8×13.2mm, Dark Brown Agate, Two Blue-Tint Eyes (At-072326-5E) — $1400.00. Five-eye dzi for abundance amplification; dark brown ground; naturally occurring blue-toned eyes; pairs with nine-eye for complete protection-and-prosperity intention.

Antique Five Eye Dzi Bead, 44.5mm×12.4mm, Pitch-Black Agate, Kubera Motif (At-072625-5E) — $3000.00. Five-eye variant with Kubera (wealth deity) geometric frame; pitch-black ground; cream-white eyes; strengthens prosperity intention alongside nine-eye protection.

Antique Eight Eye Motif, 50.3×12.5mm, Very Dark Brown Agate (At-073126-8E) — $1200.00. Eight-eye dzi for obstacle removal; warm very-dark-brown ground; cream-white closed concentric-ring eyes 4-4 distribution; completes nine-eye intention set.

Antique Eight Eye Motif, 53.4×12.6mm, Deep Warm Dark Brown Agate (At-080226-8E2) — $1500.00. Larger eight-eye form; museum-grade patina; bold cream-white rings; 200–400 years documented age; pairs with nine-eye for complete obstacle-clearing cycle.

---

Nine eyes, two kinds of bloodspot, one bead compact enough to hold in a closed fist — and old enough that the cinnabar has had two centuries to find its way through the stone.

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.

---

Hashtags
#AncientDziShop #NineEyeDzi #BloodspotDzi #九眼天珠 #硃砂 #CinnabarDzi #AntiqueDzi #TibetanDzi #DziBeads #PitchBlackDzi #TibetanAntiques #DziCollection #AntiqueDziBeads #At061926-9E6BS #NaturalAgate