Shop jewelry on Artizan Made.

Holiday Gift Guide: Handmade Jewelry

Is the desire for adornment an innate human drive? Most cultures seem to express their identities through their clothing, jewelry and hair styles, often messaging to the public their roles in society with what they wear. They might signal marital status, wealth, professions, cultural identity, and even subcultures born out of rebellion against those same roles. These days, most of us are free to wear what we want and develop our own styles without much judgment from society at large.

Adornment can come from simple materials available in nature.  The Omo Valley in Ethiopia is home to some of the most exquisite uses of plants and minerals. This video shows photographs taken by Hans Silvester, who captures such regal postures and daring glances, intimate moments in a forested and lush world that often also seem sad and distant.

 

On the opposite side of this ephemeral expression, jewelry is used as an investment. Skilled artisans pass on generations of learning to create masterpieces that become dowries, collectibles, and insurance against poverty. Metals and gemstones come together in breathtaking artistry, sometimes as a single piece, like a crown, a broch or a ring, or at other times as sets for a bride, a traditional costume, or a fashion statement.

Turkmen women load themselves down with heavily embroidered garments and metal jewelry. The workmanship inspires awe and pieces of their ensemble delight collectors. This video shows off a few variations of this style.

 

 

These hoods that the women are wearing are actually non-functional coats.  They have sleeves that hang at the back and are a status symbol, showing that they do not need to work.  The fabrics are densely embroidered and the metal elements are heavily worked and gold plated.

Our jewelry on Artizan Made falls somewhere in between these two extremes. You might find natural elements like seeds and fibers in the mix, along with metals and gemstones. We work with fair trade groups and small importers who carry contemporary jewelry or may sell vintage goods. Let’s have a look at a few of our members….

 

Afghan Tribal Arts

Abdul Wardak has been importing from Afghanistan and Central Asia since the 1980’s. His main focus is on handcarved, natural gemstone beads which he sells mostly to jewelry designers who attend bead shows. He has a huge collection of tribal jewelry, including Turkmen work. He sold on Etsy for many years but has moved his shop to our Artizan Market. There is a lot to photograph so it will take a while! You can also look at the Facebook photos of his gallery in Paducah, Kentucky, and inquire there if you see anything you are interested in.

Beads and Rugs at 626 Broadway in Paducah.

Abdul Wardak with his beads and jewelry.
Abdul Wardak with his beads and jewelry.

Shop: Afghan Tribal Arts

 

Turkmen Pendant from Afghan Tribal Arts
Turkmen Pendant from Afghan Tribal Arts

 

Deerwoman Designs

Anita has made jewelry for many, many years now.  Her passion is working with interesting gemstones and beads.  She has many different “looks”, from bold tribal to delicate, feminine designs. Deerwoman Designs Tibetan Necklace with Dzi Style Beads

Deerwoman Designs Tibetan Necklace with Dzi Style Beads

Visit Anita’s shop on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/DeerwomanDesigns

 

HoonArts

Rikki Quintana works with artisans in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and carries both wooden and sterling silver jewelry. The hair barrettes and combs are also wonderful!

 

HoonArts Large Silver Earrings with Coral Accent – Kyrgyzstan

 

HoonArts Hand Carved Wooden Earrings-Kite Shape
HoonArts Hand Carved Wooden Earrings-Kite Shape

 

 

HoonArts Hair Stick, hand carved
HoonArts Hair Stick, hand carved

All of these are fair trade items and Rikki does a great job of telling the stories of the artists and workshops she represents.

See all of the jewelry on HoonArts:  https://www.hoonarts.com/collections/jewelry-from-tajikistan-kyrgyzstan

 

ITSA Studio

Barbetta Lockart sells her own work on Etsy along with collected textiles, jewelry and beads she has picked up along the way.

ITSA Studio - Vintage Burmese Coin Necklace
ITSA Studio – Vintage Burmese Coin Necklace

 

 

ITSA Studio- Ethiopian Cross
ITSA Studio- Ethiopian Cross

 

Visit Barbetta’s shop on Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/ITSAStudioArts

 

Doughty Designs

Eileen Doughty has developed an interesting technique with thread sculpturing. She sews and sews and sews with her machine on soluble fabric, creating a dense surface with the stitching. When she is done, she washes the piece and the fabric disappears. What makes her work especially interesting is that she has figured out how to do this dimensionally. She also likes to use unusual materials in her work, often things that would be discarded, like plastic or old cds.

Eileen is using our cart to sell her work. Visit her shop here:  https://www.artizanmade.com/vendor/doughty-designs/

Make sure to see her art quilts and sculptures on her website, too: https://doughtydesigns.com/

 

Doughty Designs CD Necklace
Doughty Designs CD Necklace

 

My very favorites are her dinosaurs!! She gave me one as a gift and I treasure it!

Euoplocephalus Dino Pin by Doughty Designs
Euoplocephalus Dino Pin by Doughty Designs

 

AllThingsPretty

Debra Dorgan has a definite feminine bo-ho style that is consistent in her body of work. She collects lace, beads, and incorporates pieces of old textiles to create something new. Her jewelry often has a spiritual dimension for her and her beaded cuffs have been a steady eye-popping standard in her shop for many years. Always something new and jaw dropping!

 

AllThingsPretty Beaded Butterfly Cuff
AllThingsPretty Beaded Butterfly Cuff

 

AllThingsPretty Goddess Earrings
AllThingsPretty Goddess Earrings

Visit AllThingsPretty: debradorgan.com

Click on the drop down menu to go to the different sections.

 

Something Else Studio

Jannelle Olmstead loves all things Celtic, renaissance and woodland and her jewelry reflects that passion! She worked the Renaissance festival circuit for many years and continues to find inspiration in period pieces. Jannelle enjoys painting on wood and incorporating fine beads and gemstones.

Visit her website:  www.somethingelsestudio.com/category/jewelry

 

Something Else Studio Norse Ship Necklace
Something Else Studio Norse Ship Necklace

 

Something Else Studio Green Man Earrings
Something Else Studio Green Man Earrings

 

Elena NL

Elena has an interesting approach to how she creates her jewelry.  She finds old pieces that have some meaning and will often treat them with copper enamel. Most are delicate while having a rugged, ancient look to them.

 

Elena Nahum Leroy Canadian Artist and Jeweler
Elena Nahum Leroy Canadian Artist and Jeweler

 

Visit her website:  https://elenanl.com/product-category/jewelry/

 

 

Bone Carving Art

Roman is a talented carver from Ukraine who uses found horns, bones and antlers to create pendants, knives, and small sculptures.  He loves Viking mythology, so many of his pendants refer to Odin and other Viking gods.

BoneCarvingArt Hand carved Viking Bone art in Ukraine
BoneCarvingArt Hand carved Viking Bone art in Ukraine

 

Visit his shop on Etsy:  www.etsy.com/shop/BoneCarvingArt

 

Unique Batik

The destination for boho fashion or those of us who still enjoy the hippie era.  Unique Batik works with families and artists in several countries and has a great selection of affordable bead work, friendship bracelets, macrame’ and more!

Unique Batik leather bracelets with gemstones.
Unique Batik leather bracelets with gemstones.

 

Visit Unique Batik’s Jewelry category:  https://uniquebatik.com/jewelry

 


We have many more examples we could add here, but you can see that our jewelry category has a great variety of styles and materials to explore! It’s so exciting to see what people can think up or how different cultures express themselves!

Visit our Jewelry Category to See More!

 

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Thank you for supporting handmade!

 

Here are some random samples from our Market:

Please note that most of our products link back to our member’s sites. We also have some who use our cart. Our goal is to help our people sell their products, whether it’s here on Artizan Made or on their web shops.

Questions or feedback? Leave us a comment!