S925 Silver Tibetan Totem Bracelet Charm

A set of components, each with a job of its own. The three-hole bead handles the turn, one hole in and two out; spacers divide, cutting a long strand into sections so that it has some rhythm on the wrist. One three-hole bead per bracelet, and spacers can be several. Before buying, work out how many sections your strand needs and then decide how many to take, or you will have spares sitting in a drawer. Ask about hole size as well: a thick cord and a small hole means the piece won't go on, and the purchase is wasted.

Of the six subjects, the charnel ground is the sky-burial ground, and the charnel-ground lord is a pair of dancing skeletons, male and female, standing for impermanence in Tibetan tradition. The auspicious dragon takes the celebratory line. The mongoose is the one held in a wealth deity's arm, disgorging jewels, and made on its own it is mostly for a Jambhala strand. The Leizu hui comes from Han Daoism, and set beside Tibetan subjects it is a deliberate mix. The fish-drum puts a fish and a drum on a single bead. Black Jambhala is one of the five Jambhalas, black in body and fierce in face.

The inside of a silver hole should be smooth. A coarse cord run through a rough hole frays within days, and a frayed cord thins inside the hole until it breaks without warning. Hole edges should be rounded as well; a straight edge is like a blade, and the cord rubs across it with every movement. Silver is heavier than wood, so spread the pieces out. Gathered in one place and the strand pulls to that side. As it turns, spacers click against each other, a bright sound that carries in a quiet room. If that bothers you, swap the spacers for wood and keep the silver at the three-hole bead.

Don't mix subjects too widely. A wealth deity and a charnel-ground lord on one strand, one asking for abundance and the other speaking of impermanence, pull in opposite directions: lively to look at, but the energy scatters. Pick one direction and follow it through, and the strand has cohesion. Watch the proportion of silver to wooden beads as well. Too large a silver piece and the strand is top-heavy, dragging at the wrist. As a rule, silver a size larger than the main beads is enough; two sizes and it overpowers them.

Once the silver darkens, the relief of the pattern reads more strongly, and that is what makes it better looking than new silver. Clean dust from the gaps with a soft brush, not a needle. Over time the cord polishes a bright ring inside the hole; that is the cord's doing and needs no attention. Store the bracelet flat rather than hanging, because hanging stretches the cord and a stretched cord won't shorten again. When you restring, take the silver off and clean each piece individually, which is easier than soaking the whole strand.