Tibetan gzi beads are commonly called "Tianzhu"(heavely beads) in Taiwan. But as to who coined this name, where it was coined and who brought these beads to Taiwan, I prefer not to make any wild assumptions due to lack of reliable information on had. However, according to early Gzi traders, they were likely to be brought to Tawiwan by practitioners of Tantric Buddhism who went for pilgrimage in Nepal and obtained them as an amulte from their guru(spritual teacher), or from the hand of tibetan refugees in Nepal, who had to trade the beads for a living. The pilgrims were told that these beads were divine objects falling from the sky to the humand world, and that they possessed the mystic power of protecting the refugees, suring diseases and bringing wealth. To express their reverence, the pilgrims call them tianzhu, heavenly beads. After they were introduced to Taiwan, many promotional materials were published by the Gzi bead traders to open a market for them, and the name tianzhu became commonely known.

To my opinion, the person who coined the name tianzhu must be a genius. This simple name is self-explanatory and easy to understand. It captures the quintessence of the beads and coincides perfectly with the legends that allege their divine origin. This name far excels other names used by the Western scholars and Tibetologists. Given below are other names in use and the origin of these names:
1. Carneilian
The Austrain tibetologist Rene de Nebesky- Wojkowitz in his article" Prehistoric Beads from Tibet" published in Man(1952) and his book Oracles and Demons of Tibet(1952)identifies these beads as carnelian(A Chinese translation of this book refers to it as " cat's eys")

2. Etched agate
Dublin Sherr in his book The History of beads(1986) dientifies these beads as etched agate.

3. Etched or bleached chalcedony
Rober Liu in his Collectible Beads(1995) mentions beads of Himalyayan origin with the name of dzi and identifies them as etched or bleached chalcedony.

4. Sese beads
It is mentioned in ancient Chinese text that:" Women from Tubo wear plaited hair and sese beads as hair ornaments. Of the finest beads, bead can trade for one good horse."

5. Nine- eyed Lezi
A name used by the renowned Tibetologist Dr. Gelek in his paer" Lun Zangzu Bon de shen"( Discussions on deities of the Bon Tradition).

6. Quasi-agate Lezi and Shal
In his article" Tianzhu tanmi"( Investigation into the mystery of tianzhu), the renowned Taiwanese scholar professor Liu Liangyou mentions that tibetan schlolars often referred to necklace with Gzi beads as Gzi shal, translated as " quasi-agate Lezi" in Chinese.

7. Nine-eyed beads
Most Han people in tibet and Chengdu(provincial capital of Sichuan) ue this name.

8. Lezi, dzi, Gzi, Shal and Sese are having a similar sound. According to some Ringpoche(Incarnate lama),the word Gzi implies good retribution, dignity and perfection.

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