White Copper Wealth Under Heaven Turtle Shell Prayer Wheel Pendant

A tortoiseshell face: the back plate is divided into thirteen plates, five in the middle and four to each side. That is the old division of the shell, which folk practice maps onto the numbers of the Luoshu square. The name plays on jia, which means shell and also first class, so two meanings are packed into one phrase. The grooves of the back plate follow the real shell, uneven in depth so that the plates separate. A turtle's shell divides naturally, which suits a plaque face; the pattern is rare on copper and turns up in wood and horn carving. The shell pattern is clearest on the back, while the front is taken up by the face.

The prayer wheel is a Tibetan device: a cylinder holding scriptures, where one turn counts as one reading, or so the Tibetan account goes. Reduced to a pendant, the cylinder is tiny and turns easily, moving at a fingertip. The barrel is often engraved with the six-syllable mantra, the same line the wearer recites; at pendant size there is no room for scriptures inside, and what turns is the idea. Prayer wheels are everyday objects in Tibet, and old people often carry one. The paper roll inside has to be wound tight, since a loose roll wobbles as it turns.

The silver and gold versions are plating, not silver or gold metal. The two differ only in colour, and the body is the same size. Silver plate runs cool white and gold plate yellow, and the shell grooves sit deeper in the warm colour. Anyone choosing by material should see that clearly first. Silver plate dulls with use and gold plate reddens, and both need wiping. Thin plating shows the base in a few months, and a small difference in colour marks a step in price. Set the two side by side and the difference in depth shows.

There is clearance between the barrel and the axle, and in time dust gets in and the turning goes gritty. Do not oil it, because oil attracts dust and makes it worse. When it truly will not turn, clear the axle gap with a soft brush and do not rinse it, since water stays inside the axle and will not dry. Turn it with the pad of a finger, not a nail; the axle is copper and slackens with wear. When it stops turning, do not force it, because forcing bends it.

White copper base, and wear through the plating shows copper. Take it off for showers and swimming, since chlorine in pool water is hard on plating. The shell grooves are shallow, so dry brushing is the main method. The edge of the shell is what chips, so do not wear it against a desk edge. It contains nickel, so sensitive skin should take note. The pendant has a moving part, so tuck it inside your collar when holding a child or moving things; a fall is the worst thing for it, and one fall bends it. A moving part that turns often outlasts one left sitting.