Breaking-in effect after two years
I've been wearing this mala for a long time but haven't taken good photos of it. Today, the light is right, so I took a few groups of photos by the window to show you its current state.
I got this mala a few years ago. At that time, it was just an ordinary yellow-skin Rudraksha (large) with okay grain and good density, nothing particularly outstanding. Unexpectedly, after breaking it in for so long, the current color and patina are much better than I expected.
Appreciation of a Rudraksha mala after two years of breaking-in
When I first got it, the color was light brownish-yellow, the surface was dry and had no gloss at all. At that time, I just started playing with Rudraksha and didn't know anything. I started breaking it in as soon as I got it. After about a week of breaking it in, I found that the color didn't change much, but instead it became a bit dull. I was quite anxious at that time.
Later, I checked a lot of information and found out that the base treatment wasn't done well, and the alkaline bloom and residues on the surface weren't cleaned thoroughly. So I started the base treatment again. I used a hard-bristle brush to brush for almost a month, brushing for twenty minutes every day, and cleaned the alkaline bloom on the surface and deep in the grain. At that time, a warm matte feeling began to appear on the surface of the seeds, and the touch was also different.
After the base treatment, I wore and broke it in normally. In the first three months, I brushed more and broke it in less. After it got a glossy sheen, I slowly increased the time of breaking it in. After about half a year, the color became darker and the layer of light on the surface came out.
What it looks like now
Now the color of this Rudraksha is dark red, transparent and bright. The patina is very thick and has a strong jade-like texture. Looking at it in the sun, each seed emits a warm luster. The dragon-ridge part is transparent, and the color in the grooves is slightly darker. The three-dimensional sense of the grain is very strong. It feels heavy in the hand and the touch is very good.
Two days ago, a friend saw this mala and asked me if it was an old one I bought, saying that this patina and color would at least take three to five years to achieve. I told him that I had only been breaking it in for two years, but he didn't believe it. In fact, for breaking in Rudraksha, if the method is right and the time is up, the effect will naturally come out. There's no need to rush.
Looking back at the breaking-in process of these two years, there really isn't any special secret. It's just patience. Break it in and brush it every day, without rushing or causing trouble. When encountering problems, check the information and find ways to solve them without giving up. After a long time, the mala will naturally give you a return.
Finally, a few words
After being in this business for a long time, the most common sentence I hear is 'When will it turn red?'. In fact, there's no shortcut. When you've brushed enough and broken it in enough, the color will naturally come. Rushing to break in the mala will easily make the seeds uneven in color.
I'll stop sharing this group of photos today. I'll continue to play with this mala in my hand and update the changes after a while. Friends with the same mala, leave a comment in the comment section to talk about which stage you're at now.
