In today's dZi bead market, I feel that it is best to train your eye buying the best copies you can afford. You will loose less money and receive an education which -I believe- has to be self taught. At the very least, you will end up with a wonderful necklace.

My experience has been that many dZi bead dealers will tell you that a new one is an old one. So why ask them to teach you? They will probably just confuse you.

But if you can afford to spend two to fifty thousand per bead, you could do so. And you will probably be cheated. But this is another wonderful way to learn. And some of the beads may be right.

Good luck,
Frederick

If you could see the piles of "Dzi" beads in the backrooms of bead sellers in Chinatown, Manila, Philippines, being "aged" in various solutions, then you would for ever afterward be very wary.

Next time I go there I'll try to get some photos.