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Q:
I have recently purchased some rudraksha from a source that has been
selling for over 20 years. I still feel that it is best to check the
authenticity of the beads. How may I do this ?
A: Many long time suppliers in Nepal and India deal in counterfeit
beads as part of their normal trade and this is simply a part of the
business Mostly the round one mukhi and then any mukhis over 8 mukhi
.
Is not easy to figure why some rules for testing exist because many
times they are misleading.
Authentic Rudraksha will both float and sink depending on how much
moisture is trapped in the bead so there can be no valid test for
Authenticity based on sinking or floating .If the authentic bead is a
couple of years old and really dry from being in a collection box it
will float because it is totally dry. Is still an authentic bead. If
you leave the bead in the water for a couple of days it will take on enough
water and sink If the bead is new from this season then the beads are
normally not dry due to their freshness and there is moisture trapped
in the bead. When placed in glass of water the bead will find its
buoyancy level somewhere from the bottom of the glass of water to the
top depending on the amount of moisture it is carrying. We have found
that any and all authentic beads will either sink or float depending
on whether it is really dry or still has moisture from being a freshly
harvested Rudraksha Bead
Counterfeit round 1 mukhi are sold in both India and Indonesia. Small
pieces of Rudraksha are glued on four of the lines of a five mukhi
bead thus leaving only one deep line. Can be detected by boiling in
water for 2-3 hours . The other hidden lines would show up in a
different colour as the glue softens. Pieces chip off on regular
wearing . Another method to remove glue that is not water soluble is
to place Bead in Liquid Nitrous Oxide so it melts the more
sophisticated glues
Fake beads can also be made from wood, cork, gum or from a type of
clay. As well as from the inner wood of the plant species Aquillaria
agallocha and from the wood of
Chestnut (Akrod) plant.
One can also spot a fake bead by use of a magnifying glass, and check
for glued joints or carved lines.
To identify real Rudraksha, an expert's eye and touch is required.
There is lot of variation in Rudraksha beads. Constant collection of
different rudrakshas from different localities adds to one's
experience in this field. It is always therefore better to purchase
rudraksha beads from the authentic sources.
rudraksha shakti offers a free Authentication Service where their
might be reasonable doubt regarding authenticity for any Rudraksha
Beads purchased anywhere in the world. For this service the client
pays shipping both ways to rudraksha shakti. Another method of
Authentication can take place by scanning Beads at high resolution and
sending scanned pictures to rudraksha shakti , India by email at: kamalseetha@rudraksha-shakti.com
Please
also see the chapter recognizing
rudraksha
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