What the twelve hours are

Long before clocks, the Chinese day was measured in twelve hours (时辰), each spanning two modern hours and named after one of the twelve zodiac animals. The day begins not at midnight but at 23:00 — the Rat Hour — because in this tradition the new day starts while the old one is still quiet.

Every hour carries an element from the Five Elements. That element is what we translate into stones: pick an hour, and the bracelet follows its element.

What an hour is used for

• Complete a birth chartThe hour is the fourth pillar of a Chinese birth chart — the one that shapes timing, outward manner and later life. We ask for it in the full reading.
• Choose a good hourTraditionally an hour is picked before a signing, a launch, a journey or a move — matching the task to the hour's element.
• Keep a daily rhythmOlder medicine mapped each hour to an organ and an activity: rise with the Rabbit, rest by the Pig.
• Find your braceletEach hour's element points to a family of stones. Start from an hour, then refine the recipe in the Design Studio.