Garnet Formal Prayer Beads Bracelet – Jodo Shu Sect (January Birthstone)

Garnet Birthstone Bracelet – Formal Jodo Shu Sect Prayer Beads

This one-of-a-kind piece pairs the star-and-moon bodhi seed with January's birthstone, garnet, in the formal style of the Jodo Shu (Pure Land) sect — part of Kohgen Ojuzukan's original Sect & Birthstone series.

About the Materials

The main and secondary beads are made from star-and-moon bodhi seeds (hoshizuki bodaiju) sourced from Hainan Island, China — considered the finest grade available. The countless small black flecks on each seed are said to resemble stars in a night sky, while the single larger mark left by the stem is likened to the moon, together evoking the universe, which has long been regarded in Buddhism as the realm of the Buddha. The bodhi tree is also cherished as the very tree beneath which Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. (Many other types of bodhi seed are also used in prayer beads, including kongo, tengen, kokuryu, hogan, maya, kogan, gogan, and antique star-and-moon bodhi.)

About Garnet, the January Birthstone

With its deep, wine-like color, garnet takes its Japanese name from its resemblance to pomegranate seeds, and its English name is said to come from the Latin for 'protection against illness.' As January's birthstone, garnet is said to lead its wearer to victory and success, carrying the meaning that steady, unglamorous effort will ultimately be rewarded. Records tell of medieval women gifting garnet pendants to knights, with legend holding that such a pendant once deflected an arrow — garnet has long been worn as a charm for victory, and is still carried today as a protective talisman. Garnet is also roughly 20% heavier than crystal, reflecting its density and tightly packed crystal structure. In ancient Egypt and Europe it was believed to aid poor health and was even used as a styptic remedy to stop bleeding, in addition to being worn as an ornament.

About the Jodo Shu Sect Formal Style

This bracelet follows the formal prayer bead design of the Jodo Shu (Pure Land) sect, which traditionally uses two interlinked loops of beads — one loop of 27 beads and a second loop of 20 (or 40) beads, with 10 flat counting beads and 6 round counting beads attached. Unlike other sects, the formal Jodo Shu prayer beads do not use 108 beads on the main strand; instead, this design allows for the highest repeat count of any sect's beads, letting practitioners count roughly 30,000 recitations on the men's version and roughly 60,000 on the women's version.

Product Specifications

Item Number: 633v014000000
Parent Bead (Oyadama): Approx. 0.39 in (1.0 cm) – Garnet
Main Beads (Shudama): Approx. 0.20 in (0.5 cm) – Star-and-Moon Bodhi Seed
Secondary Beads (Fukudama): Approx. 0.12 in (0.3 cm) – Star-and-Moon Bodhi Seed
Inner Diameter: Approx. 6.69 in (17.0 cm)
Note: As each bracelet is handcrafted from natural gemstone and bodhi seed, the exact grain and shade may vary slightly from the images shown. This is a one-of-a-kind piece.