Naturally court beads, worn as an accessory to official court uniforms when in audience with the sovereign, discussing affairs of state, entertaining guests or meeting other officials, are a far cry in with their use and significance from the prayer beads originally used by Buddhist monks, nuns and disciples to count the number of recitations when chanting the sutras.
從佛家僧尼、弟子誦經念佛時，用以計算誦讀次數的念珠，演變成晉見君王、議論國事，或待客接物時制服配件的朝珠，二者的用途和意義自然大異其趣。