After three months of brushing, my Rudraksha (large) finally has a glossy sheen. When I first bought it, all I could think about was how to do the breaking-in (patina process), but I never expected that the real effect would come from brushing. After three months of persistence, the surface of the mala (prayer beads) finally has that translucent glow, which is so pleasing to look at.

How to Achieve Glossy Sheen Through Brushing

Glossy sheen is achieved by brushing. In the early stage, I used a stiff brush to clean the gaps. After brushing off the alkaline bloom, I switched to a soft brush for polishing, brushing for one to two hours every day without a break for three months. The surface of the mala gradually developed a luster under repeated brushing. This shine is not from oiling, but from the polished surface that reveals the natural texture of the beads.

Record of the Brushing Process

During the brushing process, the alkaline bloom faded in the first one and a half months, and the mala looked clean but still had no luster; starting from the second month, a faint shine appeared on the surface; by the third month, the luster became obvious, and reflections could be seen in sunlight. There were times when I felt lazy, but as soon as I stopped for two days, the luster seemed to fade a little, so I quickly picked up the brush again.

How to Do Breaking-in After Achieving Glossy Sheen

After achieving glossy sheen, combine breaking-in (patina process) with brushing. Glossy sheen is a stage, not the end goal. Now I start normal breaking-in, and I always brush after breaking-in to maintain the luster. It took three months of brushing to get the glossy sheen, which shows that Rudraksha (large) cannot be rushed. With the right method and persistence, the luster will naturally come.