108-bead mala — Lapis lazuli

An intense ultramarine blue studded with golden pyrite, sometimes with veils of white calcite.

A traditional 108-bead mala, finished with its guru bead and tassel; the thread is knotted between each bead, as custom requires.

What tradition attributes to it. The stone of the pharaohs and of the lapis lazuli of Ur, tradition links it to knowledge and inner truth.

Use & upkeep. Held in the right hand, one bead slipped between thumb and middle finger at each recitation, never crossing the guru bead. Store it coiled rather than hanging, so the thread does not stretch.

• The Afghan deposits have been worked for more than six thousand years; it is the original pigment of ultramarine blue.
• A natural piece: shade, veining and dimensions vary from one example to the next

A decorative object for personal practice. It is no substitute for medical advice or treatment.