The Two-Layer Method: a lifelong base × yearly accents
The Two-Layer Method is how Qi Yi Crystal, a natural crystal brand based in Taichung, Taiwan, designs custom bracelets. A bracelet is built in two layers. Layer one is the base — set by your BaZi five elements, Chinese zodiac, life-path number or sun sign. It never changes and accounts for most of the beads. Layer two is this year’s accent — only 1–2 beads, swapped once a year to reflect the current year. You never rebuy the bracelet; only those 1–2 accent beads change.
Why two layers
Because the information that decides your main stones never changes. Your BaZi, zodiac animal, life-path number and sun sign were fixed at birth, so a base built from them has no reason to be rebuilt every year. What genuinely differs year to year affects only a small part of the layout.
The common approach in this market is to sell a brand-new bracelet every year. We think the honest design separates what should change from what should not: keep the base, swap 1–2 beads when the year turns. That is not the best design for our average order value. It is the right one.
Layer one: the base (fixed for life)
Layer one decides the main stones and their proportions, depending on the line you pick: the BaZi bracelet reads your five-element distribution, the zodiac and star-sign bracelets use base recipes for your animal or sign, and the life-path bracelet uses your core number. Once calculated it is fixed, and every following year reuses the same base.
Everything is computed by AI from calendrical and classical charting rules — there is no human fortune-teller involved — which is also why it is reproducible: the same birth data always gives the same base. The full basis for each calculation is set out in how our divination is calculated.
Layer two: this year’s accent (1–2 beads)
Layer two advances once a year, and each product line has its own basis. All of these calculation layers are deterministic and reproducible — the same birth data always gives the same result:
| Line | Layer one (base) | Layer two (this year) |
|---|---|---|
| BaZi bracelet | Five-element structure | Zi Wei annual palace Palaces counted from the birth hour, traversed anticlockwise — a traditional charting rule |
| Chinese zodiac bracelet | Zodiac base recipe | Tai Sui relationship for the year Clash, harm, punishment and break relations, from classical stem-branch texts |
| Life-path number bracelet | Core number layout | Personal year number 1–9 Month + day + current year reduced to a single digit — standard numerology arithmetic |
| Star-sign bracelet | Sun-sign base recipe | Jupiter transit house Jupiter's position is astronomical ephemeris fact; the house uses the solar-house system |
Stone selection rule: accent stones are always chosen to be generative or neutral toward the main stones in five-element terms, so the bracelet stays coherent. The builder applies this automatically — you never have to work it out yourself.
Where the sources end and our interpretation begins
The calculations above each rest on classical texts or astronomical data — Zi Wei charting, Tai Sui relations, personal year numbers, Jupiter transits. All of them can be checked and reproduced. But which crystal a given yearly theme maps to is Qi Yi’s own interpretation, not a standard shared across the field. We draw that line explicitly because you are entitled to know which part has a source behind it and which part is our design position.
Crystals are natural mineral jewellery — symbolic companions with no therapeutic effect, and no guarantee regarding fortune, health or finances. Five-element correspondences are folk-cultural and symbolic; we share them as a culturally grounded way to choose stones and a design aesthetic.
How to start
Pick a line to generate layer one. The recipe loads straight into the builder, where you can change stones and wrist size yourself. The yearly accent is marked inside the recipe — add it or skip it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Two-Layer Method?
The Two-Layer Method is how Qi Yi Crystal, a Taiwanese natural crystal brand, designs custom bracelets. A bracelet is split into two layers. Layer one, the base, is set by your BaZi five elements, Chinese zodiac, life-path number or sun sign — it never changes and accounts for most of the beads. Layer two is this year's accent: only 1–2 beads, swapped once a year to reflect the current year. You never rebuy the whole bracelet; only the accents change.
Why split it into two layers instead of designing a new bracelet each year?
Because the information that decides your main stones never changes. Your birth data is fixed at birth, so there is no reason to rebuild the base annually. What actually differs year to year affects only a small part of the design. Splitting the two apart means you adjust 1–2 beads a year instead of buying a whole new bracelet.
How is the yearly accent bead decided?
Each product line has its own basis: the BaZi bracelet follows the Zi Wei annual palace; the zodiac bracelet follows the Tai Sui relationship for the year; the life-path bracelet follows the personal year number 1–9; the star-sign bracelet follows the Jupiter transit house. Every one of these calculation layers is deterministic and reproducible — the same birth data always yields the same result. Which crystal a given yearly theme maps to, however, is Qi Yi's own interpretation, not a standard shared across the field. We say so plainly.
Will an accent bead clash with the base stones?
No. Accent stones are always chosen to be generative or neutral toward the main stones in five-element terms, so the bracelet stays coherent. The builder applies this rule automatically.
I already own a bracelet. Can I add just the accent?
Yes. You can buy accent beads to add to an existing bracelet, or wear a second thin strand stacked alongside it. If you are not sure how to combine them, build it in the online tool or message us and we will advise based on your existing layout.
Do crystals actually work?
Crystals are natural mineral jewellery — symbolic companions, with no therapeutic effect and no guarantee of any outcome. We treat five-element correspondences as a culturally grounded way to choose stones and a design aesthetic, never as science or a promise of results.
Divination and destiny content is offered for self-reflection, inspiration and entertainment. It is not a scientific prediction and does not constitute a guarantee or advice regarding destiny, health, finances, medical matters or investment. Crystals are natural mineral jewellery with no therapeutic effect. Final items and prices are confirmed in the builder and with our team.