Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I care for and maintain my three-metal astrological bangle?

A: The three metals in the bangle are all pure, not alloys, and as such they harden over time which can make the bangle stiff and brittle, more prone to cracking. This is a normal metallurgical development. For effective care and maintenance, it is a good idea to mildly anneal the bangle once or twice a year. The annealing process will keep the metals pliable and easier to adjust without hairline cracks developing. It's easily done on a gas burner on the stove. The low temperature gas will not melt the bangle, but keep an eye on it and don’t let it get white hot...red hot is fine. After it has been in the flame for about 4 minutes, turn off the burner and let it cool very slowly. If you dip it in water it will go very hard again, so it is essential to let it cool slowly. If you often have to bend your bangle to remove it (for example if you fly a lot), then without annealing it may start to develop a structural weakness and thus may need to be annealed more often than once a year. Any residue on the bangle will carbonize during the process and the bangle may look quite different afterward. This patina flake material can be removed with a toothbrush and toothpaste, or you may use lemon juice.

For a more technical answer about the annealing process please read below.

Annealing is a metallurgical process involving the heating and then slow cooling of metal during the course of working it in order to increase its ductility and reduce any brittleness caused by bending. Annealing is especially important when working gold, silver, and copper. The heat treatment must alter the microstructure of the metal, causing changes such as reducing its brittleness and stiffness and the metals' consequent tendency to form cracks.

Copper is composed of perfect crystals. Copper has a cubic crystal structure. It is the particular variation (face centered cubic) that gives it its extreme ductility so that you can bend a wire into really sharp curves. Aluminum, silver, and gold among others have the same crystal shaped structure. Generally annealing is done at greater than 1/2 of the melting point on the absolute temperature scale. Copper melts at 1083C = 1356K so the annealing is done at greater than 678K = 405C = 761F. However, it will take a fairly long time at the lower end of the range so it is more common to anneal at about 700 to 800C. The copper can be worked and annealed many times. Wear and tear on the arm along with acidic wastes in sweat can dissolve the copper wire in the astrological bangle over a few years. And for this reason we often replace the copper wire in some bangle repairs after the person has worn it for more than 10 years. Generally this occurs with persons who live in very humid climates or do a lot of sweat-producing activities.

You can anneal and heat the bangle with whatever safe form of heat you have to a dull red glow. The woodstove, the barbecue, a torch, or the electric or gas stove will work just fine. Just remember that the copper will be hot enough to ignite most flammable objects if you set it down on them and it will give you a nasty burn if you are not careful. After heating, it is safer to leave it on the stove and let it cool down, and then still use a cloth some 7 minutes later to test that the temperature is not too high. In addition, copper and gold are excellent heat conductors. So heating one end of the wire red hot will quickly result in the other end getting hot, too! Best of luck with this. It’s not rocket science, so go ahead and anneal your bangle if you have not done it in the last year.

Q: I hear that Self Realization Fellowship sells these astrological bangles. Are you competing with them?

A: Many Years ago I was asked by a senior monastic of SRF to make the three-metal bangles. This was because Self Realization Fellowship http://www.yogananda-srf.org/index.html doesn't make three-metal bangles for non-members of SRF. As a monastic order, they do not want to become primarily identified worldwide as a supplier of three-metal bangles, or to get involved with the jewelry demands of the world. They do not wish to create the misleading impression amongst those they are trying to serve, or amongst some aspiring meditators, that the blessings of the three-metal bangle are more significant than studying and integrating the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, or more valuable than the inexpensive correspondence lessons they offer. The main role of SRF is to encourage others to pursue initiation into the Kriya yoga meditation technique, and they want to be careful that a wrong perspective on the three-metal bangle is not developed by those who aren't already students of the lessons http://www.yogananda-srf.org/aboutsrf/index.html#lessons .
It's understandable that when a person not versed in yoga philosophy buys an astrological bangle, they might feel that the bangle was enough, or that Paramahansa Yogananda did not have much else to offer. Clearly SRF does not want to contribute to this potential misunderstanding. At the same time they do not want to stand in the way of others acquiring such a helpful tool, if they have a strong desire for one. It's for this reason that Astrogems started to make and repair them. By all means if you are a lessons student interested in buying a three-metal bangle, you can call the Mother Center at Tel: (323) 225-2471 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time and ask for the bangle department . Or alternatively you can visit 3880 San Rafael Avenue, Dept. 9W Los Angeles, CA 90065-3298 USA and make inquiries at the visitor’s center.