Why do jadeite necklaces always have 108 beads? Don’t make mistakes after reading this

I guess many of my friends have bought and worn jade necklaces , paired with Buddha or Guanyin, the brand is really beautiful. Even if you don't hang it around your neck, just wrap it around a few times and wear it on your hand will add a special kind of beauty.

Then why are there always exactly 108, no more, no less? Have you ever thought about the meaning of this? Today, let’s talk about the meaning of these 108 beads.

First of all, the predecessor of the jade bead necklace we see today comes from court beads. Those pearl necklaces worn around the necks of palace ministers and even the emperor in TV dramas are court beads. Friends must have seen in ancient dramas that the emperor said that he would reward something like court beads, and they were referring to these court beads.

According to the information, because the emperors of the Qing Dynasty were devout believers in Tibetan Buddhism, the emperor, empress, civil officials of the fifth rank and military officials of the fourth rank and above, as well as guards and Beijing officials, were all allowed to wear court beads, and they could be used as rewards from the emperor.

It can be said that at that time, the top hat with a peacock feather and court beads best represented the identity of an official.

From the above, we now know that court beads can be worn by both men and women, so the bead necklaces that have evolved to today can also be worn by both men and women. Occasionally, someone may say that girls are not suitable to wear pearl necklaces, and men are more suitable. That’s not true. As long as it catches your eye, it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman!

However, court beads are indeed divided into men's and women's, and there are slight differences in the way men and women wear them.

As shown in the picture, there are three strings of small beads on both sides of the court beads: one string on one side and two strings on the other side, called "memorial". There are differences in how men and women wear them. Two strings on the left and one on the right are for men, and two strings on the right and one on the left are for women.

Therefore, when we see some friends wearing necklaces with "commemorative" pendants in the future, don't mistakenly think that they are redundant. It may be that the friend strictly adhered to the way of wearing court beads, or he may be an old jade enthusiast.

These friends really wear it the right way. When we don’t understand, it’s best not to say anything. It’s very embarrassing, and it’s self-inflicted…

After talking about the predecessor of the bead necklace, it is finally time to talk about why the bead necklace has 108 beads.

There are 108 court beads in total, with a large bead inserted between every 27 beads. There are four large beads in total, called dividing beads. They are hung around the neck and in front of the chest, and are also called Buddha heads. There is also a drooping "back cloud" on the back. On both sides of the court beads, there are three strings of small beads, two on the left and one on the right, with 10 beads each, called "Ji Nian".

Experts believe that there are a total of 108 beads, representing 12 months, 24 solar terms, and 72 seasons. The four Buddha heads represent the four seasons of "spring, summer, autumn and winter", the cloud on the back symbolizes the "rebirth of a new year", and the three strings of "ji niang" represent the upper, middle and lower decades of a month, which total exactly 30 days.

So, friends, do you know that the court beads include the solar and lunar terms, the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, symbolizing the repetition of cycles. Therefore, our current pearl necklaces all have 108 beads, which symbolize the four seasons, the cycle of things, the natural way, and the cycle of reincarnation.

I am not afraid of being laughed to death by my friends when I say that when I didn't know, I once foolishly connected the meaning of these 108 beads with the 108 heroes of Water Margin. Alas, I really facepalm myself for my imagination.

Finally, let me put an extra piece of jewelry in the collection. The value of court beads is also terrifying. Look at the picture. A string of court beads given by Empress Dowager Cixi to Emperor Guangxu is worth at least 800 million Hong Kong dollars. I think the string of zeros at the back is enough to make you drool.

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