Materials
A wide variety of materials are used to make mala beads, though there are common standards. Beads made from the seeds of the rudraksha tree are considered sacred by Saivas, devotees of Siva, while beads made from the wood of the tulsi plant are used and revered by Vaishnavas, followers of Vishnu. Some Tibetan Buddhist traditions call for the use of animal bone (most commonly yak), but sometimes human bone is used, those of past Lamas being the most valuable. Others use wood or seeds from the Bodhi tree or seeds of the Lotus plant. Semiprecious stones such as carnelian and amethyst may be used, as well. The most common and least expensive material is sandalwood. In Hindu Tantra, as well as Buddhist Tantra (or Vajrayana), materials and colors of the beads can relate to a specific practice.
Read more about this topic: Hindu Prayer Beads
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)