Bead Mala

A bead is a small, decorative object that is pierced for threading or string. Some beads are however, molded onto a thread, hence the name MOT beads. Beads can range in size from less than a millimeter to several centimeters in diameter. If you look around the market, the most common material used for making beads are glass, bones, plastic, and stone although recently, more and more beads of bone are filling up showrooms in Kathmandu.

The materials are making beads are wood, ceramic, horn, ivory, metal, shell, pearl, coral, polymer clay, resin, synthetic material, glass, fiber, paper and seeds. The story of beads goes back to the “Neolithic revolution” when humans made the transition from nomadic food gatheres to settled food producers. This was the new stone age and the period when people started turning their attention to craft besides growing crops and starting villages. They were already making weapons of stone and soon they were making beads to wear as jewelry. These beads were than traded for raw materials and played an important role in commerce. Such trade began as early as 6500 BC in western Asia and the Mediterranean. As Mesopotamia, India and Egypt developed into sophisticated societies, jewelry became and important art form within their cultures. Beads of lapis lazuli were a favorite of the Sumerians of southern Mesopotamia. The stone however, was mined in Afghanistan some fifteen hundred miles away. The Greeks made beads from rare amber while the Phoenicians and Romans spread the trade of glass beads far and wide. In Europe and western Asia, the craft of making beads developed under the aegis of wealthy patrons and soon the more technically advanced countries were trading them to the less advanced ones.

The early beads were made from gemstones and much exchange of raw materials took place: carnelian and agate came from India and Afghanistan, lapis lazuli came from Afghanistan while gold also used along with the stones, came from Iran. The Sumerian jewelry makers were highly developed and most techniques practiced by jewelers today were known to the ancient Sumerian artisans.

The other beads include those made of aquamarine, onyx, garnet, carnelian, rose quarts, amethyst, amber, turquoise and other precious and semi precious stones. They are hand carried to Nepal from Tibet, Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, Yemen and Morocco. “Garnet, crystal and Opal are also mined in Nepal.

People used beads for different reasons. They are commonly won as adornment while prayer beads are used for praying, counting each one with the thumb. Other beads are worn as talismans and are the most valued.

There are some who believe that the rudraksha beads, normally worn by holy men, calms the wearer. For Nepali married women, pote has cultural value as they worn during religious festivals. There was a time when most of it came from Yugoslavia. Tiny glass beads are also used to make intricate designs on hats handbags. These are very colorful beads that collectively form a mosaic.

Then there are the special beads like pearls and amber. Amber is the fossilized sap of extinct trees that lived in temperate and subtropical forests during the Eocene period, sixty million to forty million years ago. Similary, Pearls are an organic substance and produced by living organism. They are formed by glandular secretions of certain living oysters and mussels. Pearls are found in the sea and in freshwater mollusks around the globe. Since they are perfected by nature, pearls do not require further cutting and polishing like other gems. Amber and pearls are valued for their beauty and durability.

Since beads can be made of almost anything, it’s price range is vast. Starting from a few hundred Nepali rupees, there are beads that can sell for thousands a piece. But the extravagantly priced ones are no ordinary beads, as they are believed to bring good fortune and at the same time serve as protectors.

The unique dZi (pronounced Zee) is a black and white or dark brown, stone/bead of etched or treated agate. It is revered in Tibet as the ‘precious jewel of supernatural origin’. This rare stone has captivated peoples imagination since time immemorial. To the Tibetans and other Himalaya people, the stone is the embodiment of the Buddha. They believe that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are enlightened minds and energy that are formless and are manifested in physical form as dZi stones to enlighten all beings. Tibetan consider the dZi stone to be a very precious treasure. They believe it has magical powers and can remove all obstacles for the person who wears it. It prolongs the wearers life, protects from harm, and also brings good fortune. Over the years, the following benefits have been known:

. In the medicine Buddhas teachings, it says that the dZi stone will help heal illness, particularly blood related diseases. It will protect a person from illwilled enemies and from evil curses. The dZi stone, like an armor, will protect a person from evil spirits, both from this world and other worlds. The dZi stone will remove all obstacles so that a person will be protected from accidents, natural disasters and accidental death. It will increase a persons power, fortune, good luck and wealth.