The Beading Gem

 

Delaware based Abeni of KheperaAdornments explains how she got her unusual name :

I am affectionately called Abeni (AH-Ben-ee); a name of Yoruba origin meaning, "We asked for her and behold, we got her". I am a lover of all things natural. Given my love for travel, I share a few of my international finds from time to time, in addition to offering meaningful adornments with bright and vibrant colors and earth tones.

The Yoruba is an ethnic group in West Africa. She has a collection of wonderful African findings made into modern style jewelry. These include symbols from the more familiar Ancient Egyptian designs to ones from West Africa.

Nazar Boncugu or evil eye beads

LylaSupplies is a large store worth the browse.  Also check out Christine's companion store, NazarLuckDesign for inspirational designs. 







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Reader Elise inspired this blog post when she asked if I knew of a tutorial on Balinese beaded baskets. Well, there are no tutorials but I did come across this video which shows you the beautiful work offered by Bindah, a small Balinese company which started some years these craftswomen market their goods and thus bring in some income for their families.

I have been unable to find any trace of this particular company today.  But there are other craft collectives such as the Kembali Collective.  (Update :  Reader Susan Lisman found Bindah on Houzz! Thanks!

We live at a time when many cultural traditions are under threat of extinction. Irina of UAmaze is determined to keep her Ukrainian heritage alive through her beautiful hand painted art work, home decor and accessories.

She said, "I sincerely believe that we are responsible for saving the traditions of our country."

Historians and archaeologists often do not know how some ancient things are made. Nobody left any tutorials or plans!  So what experimental archaeologists do is try and replicate objects themselves and in doing so, they learn how things might have been made.

Watch Julia Farley, the Iron Age curator at the British Museum explain how Iron Age Celtic torcs (twisted wire necklaces) were made. The finds held at the British Museum date back more than 2000 years.

Indounik - the name is a fusion of Indonesia and "unik", the local spelling for unique - shows off some really lovely bone, shell and wood carvings from the talented artisans of Bali. This island is the second home of an Australian,  who is the one woman dynamo behind Indounik.

Small Pineapple Carved Mother of Pearl Cabochons

She explained, "My shop opened on September 8, 2010, a date carefully chosen from the Balinese lunar calendar and said to be an auspicious day on which to start a business."

She says, "Now I'm heading down a path less traveled, collaborating with some Balinese artisans to create a range of scrapbook, jewelry and crafting embellishments that reflect the culture and artistry of Indonesia. The Balinese don't know too much about scrapbooking but I always get a warm and wonderful response when I show them my well-travelled scrapbook albums. My favourite is: "You make Bali look like paradise.""  

No wonder Indounik's punchline is "Presenting pieces of paradise for your creative indulgence!"



I love what she said about the beautifully carved Mother of Pearl wing pendant above. She reminded us of Coco Chanel's maxim: “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”  

"The shell used in Indounik products is "budidaya", grown in aquaculture operations in Indonesia, not wild-harvested from the sea."

Carved Mother of Pearl Good Dog Cabochons (holes can be drilled)

Sawo wood (a.k.a. Indonesian rosewood),  a sustainable  reddish brown Indonesian hardwood, is also used in carvings.

Eye of Buddha Pendant carved from Sawo Wood Bali is different from the rest of Indonesia. The 4.2 million inhabitants are not Muslim but practice a form of Hinduism which has been influenced by Buddhism and other religions.

Buddha Sawo wood carving

The Tri Hita Karana is the traditional philosophy of the Balinese which they all strive to follow. "The literal translation is roughly the "three causes of well-being" or "three reasons for prosperity."

• Harmony among people
• Harmony with nature or environment
• Harmony with God

Tri Hita Karana Carved Bone Cabochon

Carved Mother of Pearl Shell Bees

Tiny Elephant Carved Bone Beads

Carved Brown Bone Balinese Face Cabochon

Carved Bone Dragonfly Cabochons

Abalone Mother of Pearl shell carving

Before You Go:

• Organic Hand Carved Pendants by Bone Addict
• Wood, Bone and Wire Wrapped Jewelry by Yannikoart
• Real Sea Shell Jewelry Tutorials

Disclosure
 This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips  -Jewelry Business Tips 

Jewelry designer, Elhaj Mamadou Pene Diagne of Senegal, may only have a few basic tools, but he can make an amazing traditional woven hollow wire bracelet as you can see from this video. He wove the bracelet using twisted wire strands. He also wove around beads continuously from the bracelet which is then later separated. This approach saves time and materials.

You don't have to be a Marvel Superhero movie fan to notice the roaring opening success of  Black Panther. This movie tells the tale of the new king of Wakanda, a secretive but highly technological African nation harboring a metal which imparts superhuman capabilities. He has to face a vengeful challenger and naturally, save the world in the process.  Lots of action all round (see trailer ) but what really caught my eye were the amazing costume and jewelry designs. I can't wait to see the movie soon.

I never realized how writing this blog would reach out in so many ways to readers all over the world. Yukari Shimizu of Japan is a loyal reader. She recently told me about the amazing carved wood pendants made by Shimaya/Shemaiah.   The Japanese artisan behind these incredible and innovative 3D carved open work pendants is Daiajima Daihakuunsai.

Kundan jewelry is the oldest form of jewelry in India. This traditional technique involves gem setting with gold foil. The technique originated in Rajasthan and Gujarat for the royal courts. It is most closely associated with jeweled arts of the Mughal emperors (1526-1857) where their royal goldsmiths first combined enameling techniques (probably introduced from Europe) with historic kundan work.  Today, it is still part of a traditional Indian bride's wedding trousseau.

This is written by Andrew Hoffman. He is a freelance writer and journalist from Los Angeles, CA. In addition to writing on various topics of interest (including turquoise jewelry and physical fitness), he enjoys working out, surfing in Santa Monica, and collecting classic, first-edition novels. You can get in touch with him over here .

The handmade production of Native American jewelry is a celebrated tradition with profound cultural significance. If you have ever beheld or owned authentic Native American jewelry, you surely understand the beauty and the intricacy of the production process, but you may not be aware of the immense work that goes into it. From bracelets to earrings to bolos, every piece of jewelry tells a story, and it may surprise you to learn just how elaborate a process is involved in bringing its unparalleled beauty to life.

Native American silversmiths ca. 1930-45

Never heard of Romanian point lace?  Me, too. Romanian point lace is a traditional European craft which involves handbasting crochet cord into designs and filling the gaps with needle lace work.  It is also called macrame lace, Hungarian point, Romanian macrame or crochet or European macrame. It is typically used for home decor projects like table linens or borders for curtains, even clothing and so on. See this Pinterest board for some awesome examples.

African trade beads have a long and sometimes ugly history.  They were used by Africans for adornment and as currency.  The ugly part comes with the use of "slave beads" as ships going to Africa were loaded with beads and other trade goods as ballast before exchanging these for human cargo on the outbound journeys.  Beads also played a fascinating and crucial role in the 19th century European exploration of Africa - see my historical biography on Richard Francis Burton and African Trade Beads (recommended read).

Mali wedding beads popular with the Fulani women of Mali for over 100 years

Beautiful handmade beads are the testimonials of master craftsmen.  Add on centuries of history, with generations of craftsmen passing down their art form, then they are even more special.

Kashmiri beads