Onyx jewelry
Our onyx jewelry is a unique creation. Each piece of jewelry is created in collaboration with our artisan partners in India and Nepal. Entirely handmade, our creations are from fair trade.
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Onyx jewelry
The onyx is white to yellowish, but also black. It is rather the black onyx which is known and used in jewelery. The main deposits of onyx are found in India, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Uruguay and Madagascar.
It's a gem used for centuries. The Egyptians carved bowls in the white onyx, from the second dynasty. Persians and Indians believed that onyx protected the eye and could relieve a woman's pain during childbirth. But it was in England during the reign of Queen Victoria that the black onyx took off. It became commonplace in mourning jewelry, then fashion developed around this semi-precious stone and its use became commonplace.
In lithotherapy onyx is considered a stone of strength. Onyx is known to stabilize the body and strengthen the bone marrow. It is supposed to be a great help against arthritis, weakness of the liver and kidneys.
Who makes our onyx jewelry?
India - Shankar's workshop
Shankar's workshop is located in the fabulous little town of Pushkar, in the heart of Rajasthan. Shankar is a young Hindu, passionate about his work, an invested family man, very pious and very active in the community. Shankar collaborates daily with other artisans because his workshop is very small, he does not have all the necessary tools. Creating onyx jewelry takes a little longer than with other artisans but the result is well worth taking the time! We have been working with Shankar since early 2019.
India - Govin's workshop
Govin's workshop is nestled in the heart of Rajasthan. This region of north-eastern India has been renowned for its expertise in jewelry since the dawn of time. Rajasthan is a very colorful region of immense cultural wealth. It is not for nothing that it is one of the most touristic destinations in India. I met Govin in 2017, thanks to several trading friends in Europe. Everyone advised me to go see Govin and what a meeting! Govin, Muku, Eddy, and a few craftsmen fervently work silver, crimp, brush, polish. The workshop is a real Ali Baba's cave, full of a thousand semi-precious stones. No machine, apart from something to polish! All silver jewelry is handmade, from A to Z. Forget the machines, even the simplest. It is all the more incredible to see the birth of a jewel.
Nepal - Mahesh's workshop
Mahesh lives in the suburbs of Kathmandu, in the family house, with his parents, his wife and his 2 children. He has been making malas and pearl bracelets for 14 years! 14 years of threading pearls, with patience, gentleness and peace of mind. Mahesh is very religious, when he puts on beads he seems to be in active meditation. There emanates from this person an absolute calm, a peaceful force. Well known in his neighborhood, it is not uncommon to see one or two friends from the neighborhood come to chat and drink tea in his shop. Mahesh was introduced to me a few years ago by a Polish woman who has been a volunteer teacher in a Nepalese village for over 7 years. A great meeting.