A perfect Rudraksha is uncommon. Most beads carry some mark of their origin as a seed that ripened, dropped, dried and was cleaned — a small hole where an insect bored in, a fine crack from drying, a pit in the surface, a flattened side where it lay against another fruit. None of these affects what the bead is. Some of them affect how long it will last. A report describes both, and a buyer should know the difference.
Wormholes and insect damage
Small round holes in the surface, sometimes with a short tunnel behind them, are the work of insect larvae that bored into the fruit or the drying stone. They are common, especially on Himalayan beads, and are entirely natural. A single small hole that does not reach a chamber is cosmetic. Holes that penetrate to the interior can admit moisture and encourage decay, and a bead riddled with them is structurally weakened. The laboratory notes the number and depth.
Insect holes are sometimes filled and coloured by dealers to improve appearance. The fill shows under magnification and often under UV. It is a cosmetic repair and should be disclosed.
Cracks
Drying cracks. Fine, shallow lines following the grain of the surface, from the natural shrinkage of the stone as it dries. Very common, usually harmless, and stabilised by light oiling. They are not a sign of a fake.
Structural cracks. Deeper fractures that run through a wall, across a groove, or around the pole. These can propagate and may eventually split the bead, especially if it is strung tightly or worn in heat. The X-ray shows how far a crack extends into the interior. A bead with a crack through a chamber wall is genuine but fragile.
Cracks at the hole. Drilling to widen the natural channel can split the poles. Common on mala beads; usually cosmetic unless the crack extends.
Filled cracks — packed with adhesive and stained — are sometimes used to rescue a broken bead. Under UV and magnification the fill is visible; on X-ray a dense line shows where it goes. A repaired bead should be reported as repaired.
Surface pits and flattened areas
Pits are small depressions in the surface ornamentation where a ridge failed to develop. Flattened areas result from the fruit pressing against a neighbour as it grew. Both are natural growth features with no bearing on identity or durability.
Missing or damaged crown
The top pole of the bead carries a small raised crown where it was attached to the stalk. It is often chipped during cleaning or drilling. Cosmetic. Its absence occasionally matters because the crown is where carved grooves fail to meet, so an examiner looks more carefully at the groove ends on a bead whose crown has been removed.
Discolouration and dark patches
Uneven colour from patches of retained fruit residue, mould from damp storage, or staining. Residue and mould clean off; stain does not. A bead with dark patches concentrated in the grooves has usually been stained, and the reason should be considered. Polished, oiled and "aged".
What does not indicate a fake
None of the above. A genuine bead can have wormholes, cracks, pits, a missing crown and uneven colour. Fakes are identified by the surface texture of the grooves and, decisively, by the X-ray compartment count — not by the presence or absence of flaws. An immaculate bead can be carved; a battered one can be entirely natural.
What the report says
Surface condition is described in plain terms — fine drying cracks, one small insect hole not reaching the interior, crown chipped — and separated from the identity finding. Where a defect has been repaired or filled, that is stated. Where a crack is structural, the report may note that the bead should be handled with care. This is grading language, and it is an opinion; identity is the measured finding.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cracked Rudraksha still genuine?
Cracks have nothing to do with identity. A cracked bead is a genuine bead with a crack.
Is a cracked Rudraksha still wearable?
Fine drying cracks, yes, with light oiling. A structural crack through a wall may eventually split; the bead can be worn but should be strung loosely and kept from heat and knocks.
Do wormholes mean the bead is old?
They mean an insect got in, which can happen to a fresh fruit or a dried stone. They do not date the bead.
Should a bead with flaws be cheaper?
Cosmetic and structural condition affects value, and a report describes condition so that the price can reflect it. But this is a market judgement, not a laboratory one.
Can a filled crack be detected?
Yes — under magnification and usually under UV, and on X-ray as a dense line. A filled crack is a repair and should be disclosed by the seller.