The 108 count is the defining feature of a mala, and it derives from the number of beads traditionally used when counting recitations — 108 being a figure that recurs in Buddhist numerology across several traditions. Whatever you use the strand for, the count is what makes it a mala, which is why we state it plainly and do not sell strands with approximate counts.
Bodhi seeds come from the tree under which the Buddha is said to have attained awakening, and the pits are commonly worked as beads across South and East Asia. They are not polished to a shine, because the point is the material: the seeds darken and take on a sheen from skin oils over months of handling, and a strand that has been used looks different from a new one.
This is a counting tool and a piece of jewellery in most people's hands. We describe what it is without prescribing how to use it.