Artisanal Tiger’s Eye Buddhist Mala

Description

Artisanal tiger’s eye buddhist mala beads arrive with a warmth that settles into the palm at first touch. The stone is solar, amber-brown, shot through with a silken chatoyance that shifts as each bead turns in natural light.

Tiger’s eye forms within metamorphic rock in South Africa and India, where silica fibers align under geological pressure into parallel bands that create its optical depth. This phenomenon, known as chatoyancy, made the stone prized across Tibetan and Himalayan bead-making traditions for centuries. Mala beads traveled along the trade routes connecting Indian craftsmen with Tibetan monasteries, and the practice of counting 108 beads by hand traces directly to those early communities. Each bead in this mala is shaped and polished by Nepalese artisans working within that lineage.

This mala comprises 108 beads plus a guru bead, strung on silk cord with a traditional tassel finish. Bead diameters are available in 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm; the full necklace measures approximately 96 centimeters worn as a single strand or 48 centimeters as a double wrap around the wrist. Each bead is polished smooth, rounded to a consistent sphere, with the chatoyant band running through its center. Total weight ranges from 45 to 90 grams depending on bead size selected.

Tiger’s eye mala necklace with 108 beads and guru bead, strung on silk cord. Available in 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm bead diameters. Material: natural tiger’s eye stone. Full length: 96cm. Weight: 45 to 90g. Handcrafted in Nepal.

A mala built for daily use and long keeping. Tiger’s eye holds its depth across decades of handling. Handcrafted in Nepal to traditional count.