AJ - Thanks again for both the partial translation and for the attempted read of my (bad) reconstruction...
Gav - Thanks mate... I'm including below a photo of the thickened tip.
Jens - Thank you for your input. For my own edification, are there examples of similar Cintamani motifs you can point me towards? A cursory search turned up nothing but tri-lobes and wavy lines, though by contrast, I've found examples of similarly-executed bubri motif...
I'm also curious about the stripes (in the form of linear striations) that appear on the back of the makara head (and ears) - which I'll have to photograph and upload - and how (if at all) their appearance might affect your interpretation of the motif on the (sides of the) makara head. In the meantime, I've included another photo below with the area in question circled for the clarity of other forumites.
Cheers,
Chris