The five elements and the two cycles, in plain English
Wu xing (五行) is a classical Chinese way of describing how energy moves and changes, not five "substances". Each element is linked to a season, a direction and a colour family, and the elements are read as relationships rather than fixed labels.
Two cycles do most of the work in a reading. The generating cycle is supportive; the controlling cycle is restraining, and in traditional practice it is used to balance an element that is too dominant.
- Generating (sheng) cycle: wood feeds fire → fire forms earth → earth bears metal → metal carries water → water nourishes wood.
- Controlling (ke) cycle: wood parts earth → earth absorbs water → water quenches fire → fire melts metal → metal cuts wood.
- Practical reading: if a chart looks short on one element, people traditionally add that element — or the element that generates it — through colour.
Colour families for metal, wood, water, fire and earth
When people shop for a "wu xing bracelet", they are usually shopping for colour. These are the traditional correspondences used across Chinese metaphysics, and they are what our BaZi tool uses when it filters beads for you.
Availability of any specific stone varies; on our custom tool you can see the stone type, bead diameter and unit price of every bead, so you can build a bracelet in the colour family you want.
- Metal (金) — white, clear, silver-grey and metallic tones.
- Wood (木) — green tones, from soft mint to deep forest green.
- Water (水) — black, deep blue and dark translucent tones.
- Fire (火) — red, orange and purple-red tones.
- Earth (土) — yellow, honey, brown and beige tones.
How people actually use this when choosing crystals
The common approach is not "one element, one bracelet". Most people start with the element their chart leans on, then add a second colour from the generating cycle so the design reads as balanced rather than one flat colour.
A five-element-harmony style takes the opposite route: it includes a bead colour from all five families in one bracelet, which is popular with people who don't know their chart or simply like the idea of the full set. Both are design traditions — treat the meaning as symbolic, and choose what you'd genuinely enjoy wearing every day.
- Single-element focus: mostly one colour family, with an accent bead or two.
- Generating pair: your element plus the element that generates it (e.g. green with black).
- Five-element harmony: one bead colour from each of the five families.
- No chart, no problem: pick by colour with our Style Series designs instead.
Finding the element you lean on with BaZi — five ways to build a bracelet
Our BaZi tool is an AI metaphysics calculation: enter your date of birth (adding the hour makes the chart more accurate), it lays out the chart automatically and selects bead colours by five-element correspondence. We are honest about this — there is no fortune teller, master or in-person consultation behind it, and nothing is blessed, consecrated or "activated".
If you'd rather not share a birth date, four other routes lead to the same catalogue of natural crystals.
- Trait-based match — pick three directions you care about, no birthday needed, a recipe in about 30 seconds.
- BaZi five-element match — date of birth (hour optional but better), automatic chart, beads chosen by element colour.
- Chinese zodiac & star sign bracelets — ready-made recipes for all 12 animals and 12 signs, women's and men's versions.
- Full custom tool — choose every bead yourself; stone type, diameter and unit price are all shown, and swapping one bead recalculates the total instantly.
- Style Series designs — shop purely by colour if you don't want to learn wu xing at all.
Sizing, bead diameter and what natural crystal looks like
Bead diameters are 6mm, 8mm and 10mm, and wrist sizes run from 11cm to 22cm (we work in centimetres, so use the metric side of your tape). Measure the actual circumference of your wrist with a soft tape and enter that real number — do not add extra centimetres for the beads, because our system already calculates strung length and fit for the diameter you chose. Adding "allowance" is the single most common reason a bracelet arrives too loose.
Our custom bracelets are built mainly with clear-bodied natural crystal, and you can choose clear, mixed or opaque textures. Each bead's stone type and size is listed, and colour and texture vary from bead to bead: ice-crack lines, cloudy veils and slight colour variation are normal, not defects.
Ordering from the US, UK, Canada or Australia
We don't have a shop, stockist or pick-up point outside Taiwan — no branch in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, or anywhere else. Our only physical store is at No. 37-22, Yuying Rd., East District, Taichung, Taiwan, where every bracelet is hand-strung, and our Google rating is 5.0 stars. Everything else is online and shipped direct.
Prices are listed in New Taiwan dollars with a USD conversion shown, and you can pay by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. Custom bracelets take about 7–14 working days to hand-string; in-stock pieces dispatch faster. We ship with SF Express international courier to 60+ countries with full tracking — after dispatch roughly 3–7 business days to the US, Canada, the UK and Western Europe, and about 3–6 business days to Australia. These are estimates only and we don't promise a specific delivery date.
International shipping is already included in the price, so nothing extra is added at checkout; the minimum overseas order is NT$1,500. Import duties or taxes may apply under your country's rules and are paid by the recipient. Questions in English go to WhatsApp +886 965 826 321.
Three ways to design yours online
FAQ
Do I need my birth time to get a five elements bracelet?
No — your date of birth is enough for the BaZi tool to run a chart and suggest bead colours. If you know your birth hour, add it, because the chart is more precise with it. If you'd rather skip birth data entirely, use the trait-based match, zodiac/star sign recipes or the Style Series.
Do you have a store or stockist in the US, UK, Canada or Australia?
No. Qi Yi Crystal has one physical store, in East District, Taichung, Taiwan, and no overseas branches, stockists or pick-up points. All international orders are shipped from Taiwan by SF Express with tracking.
Which element should I choose if I don't know my BaZi at all?
Choose by colour. Many people go for a five-element-harmony style that includes one bead colour from each family, or simply pick a Style Series design they like. The correspondences are traditional symbolism, so wearing what you actually like is a perfectly valid reason.
Is there a real master choosing my beads?
No — it's an AI metaphysics calculation, and we say so openly. The system lays out the BaZi chart and filters beads by five-element colour correspondence. There is no fortune teller, no personal reading and no consecration ritual involved.
How do I measure my wrist correctly?
Wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist and read the actual circumference in centimetres, then select that number (11–22cm available). Do not add extra centimetres for the beads — the system already accounts for bead diameter and fit, so adding allowance makes the bracelet too loose.
Will I pay customs duty or import tax?
Possibly. International shipping is already included in the price, but import duties and taxes depend on your own country's rules and are paid by the recipient on delivery. Check your local de minimis threshold if you want an idea of the cost in advance.
Can I return a custom five-element bracelet?
In-stock items can be returned or exchanged within 7 days of receipt. Custom bracelets are made to your personal recipe and size, so apart from genuine defects they cannot be returned — please double-check your wrist measurement and bead diameter before ordering, or message us on WhatsApp first.
Are the cracks and cloudy patches in my beads a fault?
No. Ice-crack lines, cloudy inclusions and slight colour differences between beads are normal, and every bead is a little different. Photos are for reference; the actual piece may differ slightly.
Guides
- BaZi & Five Elements Crystal Bracelets: How They Work and How to Order from Taiwan
- Chinese Zodiac Crystal Bracelets: How the 12 Signs, Elements and Crystal Colours Are Traditionally Matched
- Buying a Crystal Bracelet from Taiwan: How Qi Yi Crystal Works
- Custom crystal bracelets online: get an AI match, then edit it bead by bead (Qi Yi Crystal)
- Feng Shui Bracelets: What They Are, What the Symbols Mean, and How to Choose One
- How to Buy a Real Crystal Bracelet Online: Natural vs Glass, Dyed and Coated Beads
Five-element and zodiac pairings come from Chinese folk tradition and symbolism; they are not scientifically proven effects.