“Dzi,”
prounced “zee,” is the Tibetan word for a kind of patterned agate bead mostly
cylindrical or tabular in shape and black-white or brown-white in color.
Genuine Dzi beads are precious relics hundreds or even thousands of years old,
featuring etched patterns resembling single or double circles, ovals, squares,
ripples and lines on the surface. Ethnic Tibetans believe that the patterns
have mystical powers to protect owners from misfortune, disaster or disease,
and numerous tales about them have been passed down from generation to
generation.
