Asian Costume Jewelry

Asian Costume JewelrySo mysterious is the orient with its many signs, symbols, letters, icons, etc.,.. all indigenous of the Asian culture and often seen in the various types of handmade Asian jewelry. If you're curious about the meaning behind all of these symbols, I did my best to clear up some of the mystery below.

One of the first things you may have noticed is that many pieces of Asian costume jewelry include charms of various animals. These animals are from the Chinese Lunar Calendar which names each of the twelve years after each of the animals. As many of us know our sun sign and use it for gaining insight into our various personality traits, others use the Asian Lunar calendar in the exact same way. A certain animal is assigned to each year and aside from determining personality, the Chinese lunar calender is used to predict the future. To keep it simple, the uses are pretty much the same as the way we use our horoscopes. You'll see these symbols of animals used in various Oriental style jewelry designs the same way we wear our sun sign.

You will also see The four celestial creatures of Feng Shui, along with the Yin and Yang symbols often incorporated into many Asian costume jewelry designs and they all hold very deep and inspirational meanings. The dragon is worn as a symbol of auspicious energy. It is the most important symbol both in ‘Feng Shui’ and in Chinese folklore. A single celestial dragon grasping a pearl signifies good fortune. The Phoenix is a bird that takes on YIN energy. The white tiger on the other hand would protect its wearer from any harm. Lastly, the black tortoise is worn to benefit us in our careers and promotions.

You'll see the Chi Lin in various Asian inspired jewelry It is sometimes referred to as the Dragon Horse and is a Chinese Unicorn. It is also the symbol of a first rank military official. Chi Lin is always associated to Royal Status and its army. Like the tortoise, it represents good fortune in promotion for those wanting career advancement and is a deterrant of evil spirits.

Gemstones Used in Asian Costume Jewelry

There are some absolutely beautiful agate designs of oriental style jewelry using pure, natural agate. Again this agate is in it's natural state, completely untreated and looks like pieces or caramel. Most of it is hand strung on hemp macrame' cording.

Other Materials and Beads Used in Asian Costume Jewelry

Dzi beads from Tibet, pronounced like the letter “Z”, originated from the Himalayan mountains. I am amazed by the history, stories and legends surrounding these particular beads. You wouldn’t think there could be such awesome information and actual controversy about a bead! There are at least a half a dozen stories on the origin of DZi beads. One legend insists that DZi beads were created by the Gods and fell from the heavens while others conclude that they flowed from a stream in Ngari. DZI beads are one of those “never out of style” types of Asian inspired jewelry components. The effects are said to be similar to acupuncture. These beads gained popularity in the 90’s when, plane crash in Taiwan resulted in only a few survivors, all wearing DZi beads. That got my attention. Don’t some of these things really make you think? They’re also said to improve your health and increase your longevity. Well, they certainly increased longevity in the plane crash survivors!

Speaking of the arts in mystical tibet, some of the most beautiful jewelry in the world come from there and the antique Tibetan jewelry has a fascinating history, as well.

China is the cloisonne capital of the world and you will very often see it used in various pieces of Asian costume jewelry. . cloisonne beads are made in a variety of shapes and colors and requires a rather elaborate and complicated process of hammering, inlay, soldering, enamel-filling, enamel firing, polishing and gilding.

Porcelain gradually evolved out of pottery in China during the Ming Dynasty. Symbolic characters were hand-painted in cobalt blue and white where pendants and beads were used for Asian costume jewelry. Characterized by its translucent appearance, porcelain is either molded or thrown on a potter’s wheel.

Bali beads from Bali, Indonesia, are certainly trendy in today’s jewelry. The most beautiful Asian silver jewelry can be created using these magnificent beads. They are not only used in Asian costume jewelry, but in many of the western jewelry designs. Bali beads are antiqued and really create interest in any jewelry design.

The mala is a sacred spiritual tool used by Buddhists and Hindus for prayer/meditation. Also worn for adornment, these malas can be made from various materials such as tulsi (basil) wood, sandal wood, rudraksha seeds, or crystal. Each type of material has certain properties which subtly affect the subconscious mind of the practitioner. Another bead used in the mala is made from the bodhi seed.

Bodhi seeds are rich in tradition. It was under the Bodhi tree that Buddah sat before his enlightenment 2,300 years ago. For seven days after the enlightenment, Buddha continued to meditate under the tree. After another week passed, A sapling was carried to Sri Lanka some three centuries later.

Akoya pearls from Japan are the most beautiful in the world and although there are nice Akoya pearls from China, they are not commanding the money of the original pearls from Japan. For more information on Akoya pearls, click here.

The cinnabar mineral is a red man-made material used in lots of Asian costume jewelry. It is created from a viscous material and carved into intricate designs. Its deep red and beautiful carvings give it a very authentic oriental style jewelry look.

There are some impressive Vietnam designs done mostly in handmade shell jewelry using various gemstones and sterling silver. Vietnam also exports some beautiful handmade Asian gold jewelry which is done in 22K gold.

There is so much jewelry done in an Indian jewelry design, which would fall into the Asian Indian jewelry category, I devoted an entire page to it. There's also extra information on the Nepal arts, another fascinating part of the orient.I find it hard to believe how much information is available about It seems there’s no end to the materials, gemstones, techniques and symbolism used in Asian costume jewelry. There’s a lot more information that I will continually add as I update my website, so I hope you’ll stop back. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please contact me.Asian costume jewelry and handmade ethnic jewelry, in general. It is so fascinating that I absolutely love to see what’s available out there in the world of exclusive jewels. I keep wondering what treasure I will find next.

Certainly, I’m hoping my website will make a difference in one’s choices in their choice of jewelry as an accessory. By seeing the unique handmade ethnic jewelry available, I'm hoping the public's perception of handicrafts will be broadened, as mine is daily. So many “small time” jewelers are going under and their talents have gone unrecognized because we have a hard time finding out what quality merchandise they have to offer.

Hopefully, my website will at least make a tiny difference in the promoting of handmade ethnic jewelry. As my site grows, I hope to have many artisans featured within these pages in order to help them sell their magnificent creations. The more I learn about the availability of “wearable art”, the more I wish to incorporate it into my wardrobe.

Just the other day, I wore the most beautiful handmade Peruvian jewelry to a function and received so many compliments because no one had ever seen anything like it. The styles are not only beautiful, but so unique, I think everyone would just love to wear them. The problem is that there is only limited advertising available to the people who make handcrafted jewelry. There are many small, underprivileged communities with beautiful items to sell which I am putting in my store at this time. There’s not much in there yet, but I’m working on it.

My website is very “young” and quite unorganized, but hopefully within a year I will get it going and be of some help to the jewelry artisans from around the world. I know the internet will help, so I hope a lot of these craftsmen won't give up yet.

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