Job's Tears Seeds

Natural Job's Tears seeds. Real seeds of the Coix lacryma-jobi grass, hard and pearly, each naturally pierced through the center.

A luck and wish charm. Carried in folk magic for good luck and for holding a wish, with protection as its second, older role.

Loose seeds. Count out seven for a wish, string them yourself, or add them to a charm bag.

• Material: natural Job's Tears seeds (Coix lacryma-jobi)
• Form: loose seeds
• Seed size and shade vary naturally
• For ritual and charm use; not a food product, and not for ingestion
• SKU: RJOBT

Job's Tears are one of the oldest beads in the world, used for prayer strands and charms across Asia, Africa, and the Americas long before glass was common. The seeds are naturally hollow through the center, pearl-grey and tear-shaped, which earned them their tender names: Job's tears, after the suffering of the biblical Job, and in some Christian folk use the tears of Mary.

In Hoodoo and wider American folk magic, they are best known as a luck and wish charm. The most common working is simple: carry seven Job's Tears for a wish, or keep them on you to draw steady good luck. Their second role, older and quieter, is protection. Both uses share the same gentle character. These are not a forceful charm but a patient one, a handful of small natural tears that holds a hope or a bit of luck close until it ripens. Hoodoo is a living African American tradition; to go deeper with wish work, learn from its own teachers and practitioners.

1. Cleanse the seeds gently with smoke, sound, or moonlight; these are natural seeds, so skip soaking and salt.
2. For a wish, hold them and name it clearly; the old way is to count seven and carry them until the wish comes true.
3. String them on a cord of your own, since they come naturally pierced and need no drilling.
4. Add a few to a mojo bag or charm carried for luck and protection.
5. Keep them dry, and handle them kindly, as natural seeds can crack if crushed.

• Job's Tears Amulet: the same seeds hand-strung as a ready-made strand.
• Lucky Clover Amulet: the four-leaf luck charm, paired with the wish-seeds for general good fortune.
• Green Aventurine Worry Stone: the stone of luck and opportunity, to hold while you hold your wish.
• Black Obsidian Worry Stone: a protective stone, for the seeds' older guarding role.
• Black Velveteen Bag: a soft place to keep them, or to carry seven seeds for a wish.

What are Job's Tears?

They are the hard, pearly, teardrop-shaped seeds of the Coix lacryma-jobi grass, naturally pierced through the center and strung as beads for thousands of years. The name comes from their tear shape, tied in folk tradition to the biblical Job and, in some Christian use, to Mary.

How do I use them for a wish?

The classic folk method is to take seven Job's Tears, hold them while you name your wish clearly, and carry them with you until the wish comes true. Some traditions release or give them away once the wish is granted.

Are these real seeds?

Yes. These are genuine natural Job's Tears seeds, not cast or molded beads, so each one varies a little in size and shade. The hole through the center is natural, which is part of why they have been used as beads for so long.

Can I string them myself?

Yes, and that is much of the appeal. They come already pierced by nature, so a cord passes straight through with no drilling.

How do I care for them?

Treat them as the natural seeds they are: cleanse with smoke, sound, or moonlight rather than water or salt, keep them dry, and handle them gently so they do not crack.