Agate Formal Prayer Beads Bracelet – Jodo Shu Sect (July Birthstone)

Agate Birthstone Bracelet – Formal Jodo Shu Sect Prayer Beads

This one-of-a-kind piece pairs the star-and-moon bodhi seed with July's birthstone, agate, 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 Agate, the July Birthstone

Agate is a general term for minerals formed from tightly packed clusters of tiny quartz crystals. Its name is said to come from the resemblance of its shape to a horse's brain. Agate is most often found in nodules within volcanic rock, and its coloring and banded patterns arise from trace minerals such as iron present during its formation. Red is traditionally considered a color that wards off evil, and red agate in particular has long been used in prayer beads, making it an excellent stone to carry for protection. Agate is also said to give courage to the one who wears it and to help build smooth, harmonious relationships with others, making it a welcome gift for anyone entering the working world. It is a fitting gift for those born in July as well.

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: 633v020000000
Parent Bead (Oyadama): Approx. 0.39 in (1.0 cm) – Agate
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.