Preserving The Aesthetic Beauty of Amulet Treasures

For centuries Thai Buddhists have been carrying amulets which they believed can provide luck and protection.  They will never leave home without this highly sacred talismans during turbulent or peace time.  This cultural norm of using amulets as protective and good luck charm has huge followings in the Thai-Theravadian Buddhism and has a large influence in many South East Asian countries.  It is believed that Thai amulets can be used to avert danger, to dispel evil, to protect from disease and even to help one gain great wealth, fortune, charm and success while at work or business.  As we have illiterate in many articles before, Thai amulets can be casted from metal into Rian medallion or carved out from a piece of wood.  Amulets can also be made in powder form, with many different mixtures of ingredients that are pressed into a mould and baked to form the desired shapes.  After moulding the amulets, it will be sacralised by monks in order to give luck and protection to those who will wear it. 

Besides giving luck and protection, Thai Amulets can be worn just like any other piece of jewellery after wrapping with a gold or silver casing, with the intent to honour the amulet as well as to enhance its aesthetic beauty.  In this scenario, Thai amulets will then be referred as Thai amulet pendants or Thai amulet jewellery, which makes the amulet piece more attractive and stunningly beautiful that can be handed down to the next generation.

Elements of Thai Amulet Pendants

Gold Casing (Gold Frame): 

As mentioned before, gold frames are used to protect as well as to honour the amulet besides making it look more attractive.  Therefore, some wearers would preserve their amulets with gold casing and perhaps hand it down to the next generation. Meanwhile, the wearers can also enjoy the beauty of this Thai amulet jewellery. 

High gold purity such as 22k, 23k, and 24k are considered too soft for the casing of Thai Amulet Jewellery. Some sellers will try to boast that their Thai amulet pendant jewelleries are made from such high gold purity, but in fact it is impossible. Although, the goldsmith can make it, their Thai amulet pendant jewellery is very likely to be too fragile for daily use.  Thai gold casing is simply marvellous reflecting Thailand’s fine arts in terms of design motives.  In general 18k gold is very sturdy and it’s more commonly used as amulet pendant jewellery.  Besides that, it’s cheaper in terms of gold pricing per gram. 

Silver: 

Silver is a good alternative due to the high gold price.  High 95% silver purity is ideal in most cases although you can never be sure.  Therefore, it is advised to purchase from reputable shops.  However, silver will require some cleaning and polishing in order to maintain its sparkle as it’s very likely to get oxidized and turn dull colour.  A little bit of polishing with talcum powder or any silver cleaning agent will do the trick. 

Whenever possible, preference should be given to custom-handmade casing designs of high silver purity. Just like gold casing, it has a vast array of shapes and designs to choose for your treasured amulets that you would like preserving.

     

Essential Guide to Choosing Amulet Pendant Casings

Age, fame of an amulet, and the good experience from others who have worn the amulet in both peaceful and turbulent period of time, all enters into the pricing.  Getting a piece of amulet, thinking that if it’s more expensive it could be better is not necessarily true (Refer to The Art of Collecting Amulets).  It’s a complex decision making process and maybe too expensive to obtain some very famous and old amulets. So almost all amulets being transformed into Thai amulet pendants are of personal interest and respect for the monk who made that amulet.  Whether your choice of amulet is new or inexpensive but one thing for sure you know that it is genuine. Our advice is to choose the amulet from your personal feeling and then choose either gold or silver frames.  Let your heart be the judge.

Purity of gold casing as highlighted earlier is another important factor for consideration. Higher karat of gold purity in amulet jewellery pendant will result in higher price of the overall amulet jewellery. For making durable and beautiful gold amulet pendants with decorative gemstones, 18k gold is highly recommended

Cubic zirconia (synthetic diamonds) or other kinds of gemstones are sometimes used to decorate Thai amulet jewellery in order to make the overall appearance look more sparkling and charming. Generally, cubic zirconia is more popular than diamonds because their price is much more affordable. Some may prefer decorative ornaments on the amulet pendants.  The type and quality of gem stones are also a vital factor that can make your amulet pendants more charming than others. When buying cubic zirconia amulet pendant jewellery, you can look at the size and the clarity of the stones. Top quality cubic zirconia stones should have beautiful fire and brilliance, while lower grades cubic zirconia stones are of no different in appearance to glass. There are many different colours of cubic zirconia (CZs) stones which are available in many shapes and sizes. Top quality cubic zirconia (CZs) with the finest-cut look alike genuine diamonds from reputed producers is the best choice.

The quality of workmanship for wrapping services on gold amulet jewellery is the last factor. Quality handwork in the entire process from waterproofing, edging, to final framing of gold pendant is an equally important factor of consideration to ensure a lasting impression on your treasured amulet.  Under the hands of expert crafters usually a gold amulet pendant can be ready in about 40 minutes. 

You are expected to pay for wrapping services in most shops.  The current market price for gold wrapping service is in the region between THB800-1,000 per amulet piece.  On top of that, the other cost you will need to pay is the gold frame depending on the chosen weights. Gold pendant frames can be lightweight from 3 grams onward to 20grams. 

Amulet Jewellery Protection and Care

To prevent unwanted damage and protect the amulet pendants, take the following steps:  Apply all hair spray, fragrance, and other spray cosmetics before wearing your amulet pendant jewellery. Chemical agents from deodorants or perfume sprays will dull the surface of your amulet pendant jewellery. Store each piece of amulet pendants in a flannel bag or soft fabric pouch when not in use. Separately keep each of your amulet pendants in a fabric cushioned box for added protection. Never throw your pendant jewellery into a jewellery box where it can get scuffed or scratched.  Remove your amulet pendants when doing rough work. With these tips, your amulet pendant jewellery should last for a very long time.

To keep your gold amulet pendant looking at its level best, follow the cleaning procedures below every few months, or as when is needed: Clean your amulet pendant jewellery with warm and soapy water by brushing with a soft toothbrush. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, strong detergents, ammonia, or alcohol to clean your amulet pendant jewellery. Clean gently as not to loosen any ornament stones. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of soap. Soap can dull the lustre of your amulet pendant. After rinsing, wipe gently with a soft clean cloth in order to remove any excess water. Leave to air dry for several hours. You may choose to blow dry using a hair dryer for quick result.

Cleaning silver amulet pendant casing is relatively quite easy by applying a soft traditional “Rose Flower” facial powder onto the surface.  After applying the powder onto the dull silver surface, use a soft cloth to polish.  For hard to reach areas, a soft toothbrush is ideal.  Another tip is to use a pencil eraser to rub on the surface of the silver pendant casing.   

Stainless Steel Casing

Stainless steel will not be considered as jewellery in this instance but we cannot ignore the importance of stainless steel casing for its usage in protecting and preserving amulets. Sometimes amulets may not have temple box and to protect the amulet's overall condition, stainless steel casing can be used for this reason as it is very affordable.

   

Stainless steel offers a much cheaper alternative as compared to gold or silver. A normal stainless steel casing will merely cost between THB20-50 with many shapes and sizes to suit almost any kind of amulets. 

The other practical usage of stainless steel casing apart from being inexpensive is to serve the purpose to test amulet suitability on oneself.  Most times collectors may acquire new amulets along the way and being inquisitive in mind, they will likely want to test out the collected amulets to feel how significant the amulet can bear its miraculous effect onto them.

The most reasonable approach by all means is to temporary house the amulet into a stainless steel case to wear for a period of time before coming to a conclusion. Many seasoned collectors will use this approach apart from protecting the amulet before upgrading the amulet casing to either silver or gold.

We hope this article is helpful in giving some ideas and techniques in preserving your treasured amulets while enhancing its aesthetic beauty.


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