Rudraksha

Rudraksha  is a seed that is used as a prayer bead in Hinduism, especially in Shaivism. When they are ripe, rudraksha seeds are covered by a blue outer shell and are sometimes called blueberry beads. The seeds are produced by several species of large, evergreen, broad-leaved tree in the genus Elaeocarpus, the principle of which is Elaeocarpus ganitrus. The seeds are associated with the Hindu Lord Shiva and are commonly worn for protection and for chanting mantras such as Om Namah Shivaya (Devanagari: ॐ नमः शिवाय; IAST: Om Namaḥ Śivāya). The seeds are primarily used in India, Indonesia and Nepal as beads for organic jewellery and malas; they are valued similarly to semi-precious stones. Various meanings and interpretations are attributed to beads with different numbers of segments or the locules of seed (mukh) [Sanskrit "मुख": face ], and rare or unique beads are highly prized and valuable.