No change during ブレイクイン

I've been playing with ルドラクシャ for a few years, and my ルドラクシャ showed no change after six months of ブレイクイン. Today, I've organized my experiences over the years to give a heads-up to beginners, so you don't take the same detours I did.

Thinking back to when I just started, I didn't know anything. I would start ブレイクイン directly with my hands as soon as I got a マーラー, resulting in a dark and mottled パティナ. I ruined several マーラーs before slowly figuring out the right way. These experiences were bought with real money and time, and I hope they help everyone.

Reasons for no change during ルドラクシャ ブレイクイン

First of all, let's talk about the foundation. When you first get a ルドラクシャ, you must do the foundation work first, cleaning away the アルカリ析出 and residue on the surface and deep in the 紋様, before starting to break it in with your hands. The foundation takes at least a month, brushing for twenty minutes a day, until the surface of the ビーズ shows a warm matte finish and feels smooth to the touch.

Then comes the ブレイクイン. In the early stage, brushing is primary and handling is secondary. Brush for twenty minutes and handle for ten minutes every day. After three months, when it gets a 光沢, you can handle more and brush less. Make sure your hands are clean when handling; slight sweat is enough, do not handle excessively with sweaty hands. After handling, wipe it once with a dry cloth to clean the sweat off the surface.

There is also maintenance. ルドラクシャ fears wind, water, and large temperature differences. When not wearing it, put it in a sealed bag, and don't leave it in an air-conditioning vent or direct sunlight. In summer, when you sweat a lot, wipe it more often. Don't let sweat accumulate in the 紋様, as it will easily turn dark over time.

Common problems and solutions

Common problems during the ブレイクイン include アルカリ析出, cracking, color difference, and turning black. If アルカリ析出 occurs, brush more. Use a stiff-bristled brush to focus on the deep parts of the 紋様, and it will recover after a week of persistence. If it cracks, for small cracks, continue the ブレイクイン and it will gradually become unnoticeable after the パティナ forms; if the crack is relatively large, it is recommended to replace it.

Color difference is the most common and almost every マーラー will encounter it. There is no need to rush. Put the lighter ビーズ in the middle and handle them more, and handle the darker ones less. Persist for a month or two, and the color difference will shrink. If it turns black, wipe it more with a clean cloth, reduce handling time, and brush more. It can slowly recover to some extent.

Closing words

Actually, ブレイクイン for ルドラクシャ is both simple and difficult. It is simple because as long as the method is right and you have patience, anyone can break in a good マーラー; it is difficult because many people are eager for quick success, always wanting to turn it red and form a パティナ quickly, resulting in detours instead.

With these cultural playthings, it's all about the process, so don't rush. I hope everyone can break in a マーラー they are satisfied with and enjoy the process.