| Varieties of Komboloi | |
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The short strands of komboloi beads come in many varieties, from plastic to ceramic, bone, glass, amber, and coral. Semi-religious komboloi may add a saint's medal to the strand, often St. Christopher, patron of travelers. Some "secular" komboloi add a medal showing an image from Greek culture, such as the Acropolis or a windmill; these are produced for tourists and rarely show up in a Greek hand.
Amber is a traditional stone for komboloi, but be aware that reconstituted (mastica), partially real, or imitation amber are all common and have been used for a long time, so age is no guarantee of authenticity. Buy older strands based on their beauty, not necessarily what the substance is said to be.
As komboloi grow in popularity, other versions are popping up. Long strands with big chunky beads are intended as wall decorations. Small strands may end up hanging from rear view mirrors in cars, acting as a new kind of the "donkey beads" which protected the beasts of burden which were the common people's "cars" of the past. Both the wall decorations and car adornments count on an inherent protective quality in komboloi beads. Some modern strands are made of beads shaped and marked like dice, symbolizing good luck, particularly for gambling or games of chance. Others are made of cobalt-blue eye beads, believed to effectively ward off the evil eye. Perhaps these should be called "no-worry beads".
Prices vary widely. Most souvenir stand strands will cost between 5 to 10 Euro. Lowest prices will usually be for plastic beads, but glass or ceramic beads are much more satisfying to handle and are often the same price as plastic, or just slightly more. The cord-strung beads are more pleasant to use, as the fine chain can grate a bit against sensitive fingers or catch on the edge of a sleeve. Jewelry shops will charge substantially more, abounding with strands of gold and silver strands strung with lapis or coral beads. There's no upper limit; fine strands are costing between $250-$1000 or more, and these deluxe versions are particularly popular with Greek businessmen.
Specialty stores, of which the Komboloi Museum and shop in Nafplion is the reigning king, will have better quality than souvenir stands and a much wider selection. Airport stands sometimes have decent quality beads, but the price will be two to three times what you would pay elsewhere.
As komboloi are growing in popularity, they are being imported into Greece from other countries. This is particularly true of lower-quality semi-precious stone versions and metal komboloi. Ask if the strand you like is Greek made; most shopkeepers will be happy to tell you the truth and guide you to those made by their fellow citizens.
Some Greeks are touting the power of komboloi to soothe tensions, reduce blood pressure, and stimulate acupuncture points in the fingers. Do komboloi really have special powers? Give it a try. Travel delay? Break out the beads and seek serenity. Temperature too hot? Swirl those beads, you might start a breeze. If it's true that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon can start a storm in the Atlantic, why can't we coax a breeze with komboloi?
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