White Copper Daoist Leizu Auspicious Cloud Pendant Necklace

The name Leizu, in Daoist usage, refers to the Celestial Worthy of Universal Transformation through the Thunder Sound of the Nine Heavens. Scriptures of the Shenxiao tradition place the gods of the thunder bureau beneath him, and his remit runs to driving clouds and rain, expelling evil and averting calamity. The taboo character written for him is complicated: a rain radical sits on top, several layers of components stack below, and it cannot be pronounced. Few people recognize it. That character, not a portrait, occupies the centre of the tablet, which is why the first impression is a dense knot of strokes.

The face is round, the Leizu character centred, a ring of auspicious clouds around it. The cloud heads take the ruyi shape, one after another, holding the character up. The character is cut intaglio and the clouds are in low relief; the difference in height is small, so only raking light separates them. The back is polished flat and does not press into the skin. The outline is drawn in cleanly with no extra lugs, and the cord hole at the top is aligned with the centre of the character.

Gold and silver differ in surface treatment. Gold runs warm and shows well against dark clothing; silver runs cool and stays closer to the natural tone of white copper. The piece is polished before colouring. If the base is not bright, the colour goes blotchy. A clear protective coat is applied afterwards, otherwise sweat will eat the edges within a fortnight. Set side by side, the gold clouds jump more and the silver strokes read more clearly. Each has its own advantage. The silver version is often worn against the skin, where the bright surface slowly improves with wear and ends up unlike a new piece.

Coloured copper is ruined fastest by silver polishing cloths and similar abrasives, which leave the colour patchy. If it gets dirty, rinse with warm water, blot with a soft cloth, and let moisture in the crevices dry out before putting it away. Take it off before showering; soap and hot water both bite into the colour. Store it in a box rather than leaving it on a windowsill, since ultraviolet light fades the colour quickly. On the gold version the colour goes first at the edges, which is ordinary wear. Do not stack it in the same compartment as other jewellery; copper is soft and hard pieces will leave fine scratches.

This type of tablet is usually worn outside the collar, though some people keep it against the skin. The cloud pattern has the advantage of suiting any occasion; over a jacket or a shirt it does not look out of place. The face is round and the edge drawn in tight, so it sits at the sternum without appearing bulky. A shorter cord is steadier, since a long one flips. With a crew neck in summer a section shows, and the size is just right, not exaggerated. Half of it shows when the collar is open and all of it disappears when closed, which makes it easy either way.