Breaking-in (patina process) with gloves
I've been playing with Rudraksha for several years. When breaking in Rudraksha, should I wear gloves? Today, I'll summarize my experience over these years to give a heads-up to beginners so that they don't make the same mistakes as I did and take a detour.
Recalling when I first started, I knew nothing. I just started breaking in the mala directly with my bare hands when I got it. As a result, the Rudraksha turned dull and blotchy. I wasted several malas before gradually figuring out some tricks. These experiences were bought with real money and time. I hope they will be helpful to everyone.
Advantages and disadvantages of breaking in Rudraksha with gloves
First, let's talk about priming. When you first get the Rudraksha, you must prime it first. Clean the alkaline bloom residues on the surface and deep in the texture, and then start breaking it in with your hands. Priming should take at least a month, brushing for 20 minutes every day until the seeds show a warm matte finish and feel smooth and non-astringent to the touch.
Then comes breaking in. In the early stage, focus on brushing and supplement with breaking in by hand. Brush for 20 minutes and break in by hand for 10 minutes every day. After three months when it has a glossy sheen, you can break in by hand more and brush less. When breaking in, your hands should be clean, with a little sweat is fine, not sweating profusely and breaking in vigorously. After breaking in, wipe it with a dry cloth to clean the sweat on the surface.
There is also maintenance. Rudraksha is afraid of wind, water, and large temperature differences. When not wearing it, put it in a sealed bag and don't place it in the air conditioner vent or in direct sunlight. When sweating a lot in summer, wipe it more often and don't let the sweat accumulate in the texture, otherwise it will easily turn dull over time.
Common problems and solutions
Common problems during the breaking-in process include alkaline bloom, cracking, color difference, and turning black. If there is alkaline bloom, brush more, especially deep in the texture with a hard brush. Keep brushing for a week and it will recover. If it cracks, if it's a small crack, it will gradually become less obvious after continuing to break in and developing a patina; if the crack is relatively large, it is recommended to replace it.
Color difference is the most common. Almost every mala will have this problem. Don't worry. Put the lighter seeds in the middle and break them in more, and break in the darker ones less. Keep doing this for a month or two and the color difference will shrink. If it turns black, wipe it more with a clean cloth, reduce the time of breaking in by hand, and brush more. It can gradually recover a bit.
Summary
Actually, breaking in Rudraksha can be said to be simple and also difficult. It's simple because as long as you have the right method and patience, anyone can get a nice mala. It's difficult because many people are eager for quick results, always wanting to turn it red and develop a patina quickly, but instead they take a detour.
For this kind of cultural relic plaything, what we enjoy is the process and we can't be impatient. I hope everyone can get a mala that satisfies them and enjoy this process.
