The whole process of putting together a mala

This Rudraksha mala was recently picked out for a client. I spent a long time selecting these beads. The client had looked at several malas in live streams before, but they were either overpriced or of mediocre bead quality. A friend referred him to me, asking me to help him pick a mala that suits his taste.

I first confirmed the client's needs: 20mm in size, he prefers short-stocky full-meat beads, with a budget of around 2,000. He mainly wears it daily and does occasional breaking-in (patina process). After confirming the requirements, I started looking for beads, contacted several regular suppliers, and went through three batches of beads in total.

The full process of gathering twelve premium Rudraksha beads

The bead selection process is actually quite tedious. First step: measure the size, keep beads between 19.8mm and 20.2mm; second step: check density and skin color, reject lightweight beads, and reject those with discolored skin or mottled skin; third step: check the shape, short-stocky beads with height under 18mm; fourth step: check the grain / texture, the full-meat texture must be plump, and each bead should have a similar style.

After three days of selection, I picked out fourteen beads from over two hundred: twelve for the main mala and two as spares. These fourteen selected beads are very uniform in size, shape, grain / texture, and color. They feel heavy in the hand, indicating excellent density.

Once the beads were selected, I started drilling and stringing. I used a 1.5mm drill bit with a slow speed, drilling one by one carefully to avoid cracking. When stringing, each bead is oriented the same way, with the front facing outward and the dragon-ridge (ridge line) aligned uniformly, so it looks neat when rotated. After stringing, I tried it on: the client's wrist circumference is 17.5cm, and twelve 20mm beads plus the Buddha head fit perfectly.

Finished product effect and client feedback

After stringing, I delivered the mala to the client. He examined it back and forth for a long time and was extremely satisfied. He said the malas he saw in live streams before were either inconsistent in size or uneven in grain depth, and they were also expensive. He said I selected this mala carefully, every bead is uniform, and it's much better than those from live streams.

Actually, helping clients pick malas is like this — it takes time and strains the eyes, but when the client wears the mala comfortably and feels happy looking at it, it's worth it. Wenwan (cultural collectibles) are all about dedication; if you put your heart into it, it will reward you.

A few casual words

If any friends also want to pick a Rudraksha mala, I suggest being patient and not rushing. Compare more and look more, and the beads you pick won't be bad. Wenwan is all about the process; you can't rush it.

I hope everyone can pick a mala they are satisfied with and enjoy the breaking-in (patina process).