Rudraksha is a unique kind of gem that helps a person to achieve happiness and contentment in life. It is another form of Lord Shiva. According to ancient scriptures, a person should chant and worship the God before wearing Rudraksha. There are various kinds of Rudraksha that are classified on the basis of their shape and stripes on the uni-seed.

Nowadays, everyone guarantees the availability of authenticated Rudraksha in the market, but this is not the case. It is very difficult to recognize the original quality of Rudraksha. Many people try to copy the shape and texture of original Rudraksha like trident, snake etc. and sell it in the market. Sometimes, they even combine two original Rudrakshas and sell it in the name of Gauri Shankar Rudraksha. Moreover, lead and mercury are also used to increase the weight of fake Rudraksha in order to make it look like original.

It is necessary to use original quality of Rudraksha for the worship, else the person is not able to obtain the desired results from it. It is difficult to identify original quality of Rudraksha for a normal person who does not have much knowledge about it. He can be easily deceived by the seller.

Bhadraksha is another quality that resembles Rudraksha. It is sold in the name of Rudraksha, but does not possess the same qualities.

Following are some basic tips that will help you  to recognize the original quality of Rudraksha. They are:

• To identify the originality, boil Rudraksha in water for few hours. If the colour of Rudraksha does not fade away, then it is original.
• Cut  Rudraksha from the center and count the stripes present inside it. If the count of the stripes inside it matches with the count on the surface, then it is original. The negative aspect of this test is that it destroys the effect of Rudraksha, i.e, it cannot be used for worshipping.
• Scratch Rudraksha with a pointed object or needle. If grains are coming out from it, then it is an original quality.
• No two Rudraksha have similar surface. If two similar faced Rudraksha have same surfaces,then it means they are not original.
• If Rudraksha drowns into water, then it is original. Fake Rudraksha will float at the surface of water. It is believed that the floating or drowning property of Rudraksha depends on the element it is made of.
• Rudraksha kept between two coins slips away. This happens because of the magnetic property of Rudraksha present in an original Rudraksha.
• Keep Rudraksha between the thumbs of both hands. If Rudraksha starts rotating between them, then it is original. But it is not an effective test to check the originality.
• Ek Mukhi Rudraksha gives the image of a trident and an eye on seeing with focus or if it does not break out in the sun, then it is considered to be original.
• Make sure that the Rudraksha you are buying is not infected by any insect or broken and should not even be exactly round in shape etc. These kind of Rudraksha are considered destroyed and should not be worn.