For those living outside of India it is quite difficult to find a good supplier. Heck, even those in the motherland are often duped into buying fake Rudrakshas. I was wondering if everyone could share their experiences or give advice on where to buy genuine beads so members like myself and others could have place to turn to...The insane amount of websites that sell Rudraksha will drive anyone insane.
I need some advice from those who have the experience. I currently wear a few Rudraksha they are low mukis (4,5,6). Nothing to worry about in terms of being fakes since they are more common. I really want to buy a 14 muki rudraksha. It is really hard to find someone you can trust. I have narrowed down my search to a few suppliers. Here is the information I have gathered about them:
1) Rudra Centre:
ISO certified: 2008 (have confirmed using 3rd party site). Multiple Locations worldwide. Their reviews are mostly positive. One or two of them draw concern stating that a few/half of their reviews on rating sites are from employees (some forum posts stating fakes could be just trolls). Neeta is a multiple award winner in Rudraksha research and is well known in the community.
2) Indraprastha Gem and Jewllery Institute:
Known for certifying gems and rudraksha for many suppliers and websites. "ISO certified: 2008 (could not be confirmed). Chief officer Deepak Singh Shekhawat's facebook is open one can see the vast amount of gems and rudraksha they certify. Also, Rudra Centre's Gopinathan of the Canadian Branch is facebook friends with them. Have been told one cannot trust certificates in India anyone/jeweller can make them up.
3) Shiv Rattan Kendra (www.shivrattankendra.in)
Reg. Business (so are the rest). Have 5 locations one in Shri Prakasheshwar Mahadev Mandir a unique mandir which takes no money or offerings from its devotees. Honor Profile: Can return items if unhappy.
4) Rudra Gems
All Rudraksha are certified by Indraprastha Gem and Jewllery Institute. Have many positive ebay reviews.
5) Rudra Life
ISO certified: 2008 (have confirmed using 3rd party site). Very expensive.
I believe the first 3 companies I have listed seem okay. I will pick between Rudra Centre or Indraprastha Gem and Jewllery Institute.I am leaning towards Rudra Centre since they are well known. I still feel uneasy since it is hard to trust people from a distance. Can anyone who used Rudra Centre or any of the above businesses give me some insight into their dealings with them and whether or not their Rudraksha are genuine and have worked. I am sorry for the long post I just need some guidance and feel this thread can help people in the future. Thanks everyone, sorry for the length.
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