#bayong

A short wrist mala with 27 counting beads. This is so far the only one I've made with this style of attaching the tassel... I think bayong and the turquoise (some old beads from New Mexico) go nicely together and also look good with silver.

Materials:

27 counting beads: bayong, 10 mm

guru bead: silver, 14 mm

additional beads: turquoise, about 7 mm and silver, 5 mm

non-stretchy beading cord

This is a half mala (54 beads) with a somewhat non-traditional construction: traditionally, the counting beads are of the same material, but I loved the combo of bayong and dumortierite and wanted to have more dumortierite beads in this, so I used it for the first 7 counting beads on both sides of the guru and left out the markers. Also, I used a dumortierite pendant instead of a tassel. All in all, I think it works quite well, and this is one of my personal favourites 💙. This is a non-stretchy mala; one of the pics shows the small extra space left in the loop to allow for the movement of the counting beads.

Materials:

Counting beads: 8 mm, 40 bayong, 14 dumortierite

Guru bead: 10 mm, bayong

The flat half-way marker and decorative extra beads: 5 mm, silver

The pendant: 8 mm beads, 25 mm dumortierite ring

Non-stretchy beading string

This mala was made as a small surprise gift for a friend, inspired by the Japanese Buddhist juzu prayer beads.

Materials used:

54 counting beads: bayong, 8 mm

guru bead: bayong, 10 mm

two marker beads: huanglong jade, 6 mm

the flat half-way marker and two decorative beads flanking the guru: silver, 5 mm

the additional focal bead: huanglong jade, 12 mm

(an additional 6 mm bayong bead)

the decorative 6 mm 出入平安 silver bead

waxed 0.7 mm cotton string, yellow and grey, about 2.5 m each

beading elastic (Opelon Stretch Jewelry Fiber), flat 0.7 mm, doubled

Explanations below the cut 🙂.

Scientific name: Afzelia rhomboidea

Other names: Tindalo

Bayong is a hardwood belonging to the family Fabaceae (legumes), indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It is becoming threatened by habitat loss.

Afzelia rhomboidea from Wikimedia Commons (by Francisco Manuel Blanco)

Bayong wood is durable with similar properties to mahogany, and has mainly been used for lumber. Small pieces of leftover lumber are used to make beads and jewellery.

Bayong beads in 8 and 10 mm.

The wood has a beautiful reddish brown color, visible wood grain and gorgeous soft sheen.

The wood is said to retain the distinctive bean smell of the tree, but at least in beads, it is not strong.

Further information:

🟤 Afzelia rhomboidea in Kew Plants of the World Online