I've had my Rudraksha (large) for three months, and here's the real record of its base preparation stage. This Rudraksha (large) has been with me for three months. From the alkaline bloom-covered dull beads when I first got it, to now having clean gaps and a glossy surface, I jotted down every step in my notebook. Now I'm sharing the real look of its base preparation stage with everyone.

The First Month

In the first month, I focused on clearing alkaline bloom. Every day I used a stiff brush to clean the gaps and a soft brush to sweep the surface, spending one to two hours total each day. The alkaline bloom visibly faded away. During this month, the mala was barely handled with hands, I only brushed it until the gaps were completely clean and there was no grayish white left on the bead surface.

The Second Month

In the second month, I kept brushing while doing gentle breaking-in (patina process). After the alkaline bloom was almost completely gone, I started handling it with hands for short periods, alternating between breaking-in (patina process) and brushing, to let sweat and oil soak into the beads evenly. This month, the color of the mala started shifting from pale yellow to warm yellow, and the gaps were slightly darker than the bead surface, which is the normal patina coloring progression.

The Third Month

In the third month, it entered the stable stage of combining breaking-in (patina process) and brushing. Now I do regular breaking-in (patina process) every day, and I always brush it thoroughly after handling. The glossy sheen on the mala surface has developed, and the color has become much more even. After three months of keeping records, my biggest takeaway is that there are no shortcuts in base preparation. The effect you get from brushing day after day is the most solid.

Three months is not a long time, but the foundation laid during the base preparation stage benefits every day that follows. There are no shortcuts in base preparation. The base built by consistent daily brushing is the most reliable, you can't rush the process, and you can't skimp on the effort.