White Copper Seven Grain Rice Cord Bracelet

People who wear a lot of things usually take the ring off first; the cord bracelet is what stays. It does not get in the way. Typing, carrying a bag, washing hands, and only a small band gets wet. The seven-grain version is simpler still: one string of beads, a knot at the closure, and once it is on you barely feel it. The plainer a thing is, the more likely it is to be worn every day, until the cord itself goes shiny.

The seven are rice-shaped white copper beads, pointed at both ends and swollen in the middle, strung one by one like a small handful of rice held in the hand. The shape is not easy to make. Too sharp at the ends and it pricks; rounded off and it stops looking like rice. The seven have to be uniform in size, or the mismatch shows at a glance. A little gap between beads lets the string move with the wrist instead of sitting like a rigid band. The cord is braided, the pattern running right through, the join hidden inside the knot.

Rice is a folk symbol of food and livelihood, and seven carries its own weight in jewellery: the seventh night of the seventh month, the seven luminaries, the seven stars, all old numbers. Lock pendants and cord bracelets made for children used to be finished with a few rice-shaped pieces, meaning no worry about food. The custom appears everywhere with different explanations and much the same sense. Traders care about such things for peace of mind. Seven strung tight do not swing about and do not pinch the wrist. The bead surface is finely grained with the shine held back, so it looks like a small handful of coarse grain.

The closure is a sliding knot, adjustable by a little. Slim wrists wind half a turn more and let the cord hang slightly, which actually looks better. Splashes from washing hands do no harm; long soaking does. White copper darkens with sweat and the cord deepens with it, both ageing together as a set. The cord is a water-tolerant braid, the ends singed so they will not fray.

The gaps between rice beads are small, and sweat grime lodges at the string holes. Every so often brush it with a soft brush and clean water, and dry before wearing. If you dislike the dark tone, put a little copper polish on a soft cloth and work only the raised faces, leaving the hollows alone. When the cord frays at the edge, replace it; it costs very little, and waiting for a break is worse. While restringing, wipe each bead clean, and it goes back on as a new bracelet. White copper is soft, so no stiff brushes, or the fine scratches will spoil the look. If your wrists sweat a lot in summer, wear it every other day and let the cord breathe.