Elephant hair bangle made from the hairs of the mighty Elephant's tail.

19 April 2013

Last night I watched a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough called Planet Earth. In this particular episode stunning footage captured the moments when a pride of lions stalked and ambushed a young elephant overcoming the large animal and feasting upon it hungrily.

The enemy of the elephant however is not the lion but humans. They are hunted for their tusks as the demand for ivory increases worldwide. Elephant ivory is the most commonly used ivory for jewellery.

Another form of jewellery produced from elephants is the elephant hair bangle. No elephants are harmed or killed in the making of these bracelets. They are made from the tail of the elephant and are found in the wild after being shed from the their tails.

 

The hairs found in the wild can be as long as a metre and vary in colour from brown to black and sometimes white. Artists then use these hairs to weave them into bangles complete with sliding knots.  The two knots on the bangle create a balance between earth and nature creating harmony between the wearer and the forces of nature.

 

Elephant hair bangles are rich in symbolic meaning. It is believed that wearing an elephant hair bangle will bring you luck and good fortune and you will enjoy a prosperous and healthy life.

 

Until next time,

 

www.amahlejewellery.com

 

www.etsy.com/shop/AmahleJewellery

 

HANDMADE VS MASS PRODUCED

7 April 2013

There is something special about handcrafted jewellery and how they can express the artist's thoughts, care and attention to detail. It's appeal is in its uniqueness and individuality which allows the wearer to express their personality.

Today I am wearing a necklace I designed and made myself.

 

It is hugely satisfying to create something with your hands and you feel an incredible sense of achievement as well.

 

Crafting a piece of beaded jewellery especially one that has a lot of detail is very labour intensive and I have documented the process of making this pearl beaded flower necklace.

 

Materials for the necklace

 

Cream seed bead, size 11

Gold seed beads, size 11

8mm ivory glass pearls

4mm cream glass pearl

peach button for clasp

 

 

The first step is to create the beaded flower. I start with creating the petals. I bead 8 diamond shaped petals in brick stitch.

 

Now I have 4 cream and 4 light gold beaded diamonds

 

 

The next step is to assemble the gold diamonds together

 

 

When that is completed I attach the cream diamonds to the gold diamonds using square stitch and then finish off the flower with a centre pearl.

 

 

Once the beaded flower is done, the next step is to string 8mm pearls and cream seed beads to create the necklace. Then a button bead clasp is added to the finished strand.

 

 

 

 

 

I then repeat for the other half of the necklace and add a loop for the clasp.

 

 

 

The necklace is completed.

 

 

 

More and more people today are choosing to wear handmade jewellery and prefer the uniqueness of hand crafted ornaments. Artists try to create unusual jewellery that is appealing and attractive. There is a great deal of personal pride and finesse inherent in an artist's work and that is what makes it so different from machine made jewellery. And that is why most jewellery that is mass produced is quite simply run of the mill.

 

There is also nothing to beat that feeling of exclusivity and to know that no one else or practically very few people will be wearing the jewellery that you are. Mass produced jewellery is literally 'a dime a dozen'.

 

Until next time

 

www.amahlejewellery.com

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AMAHLEJEWELLERY