India is land of delicious spices, gorgeous textiles, and amazing history steeped in traditions. These tokens of love play and important role in the traditions.
This language of love is a part of every little Indian girls life. Almost immediately after being born, a baby girl receives anklets and bangles from her adoring family. While very young, the jewelry is solid metal bangles made of sterling silver or even gold for some very lucky girls. But as she grows, the anklets are replaced with more delicate links of sterling silver that lay against her ankle and move with her. What many don't know, is that there are tiny sweet little bells on the children's anklets.
As his most precious pet, a father can hear the movements of his daughter as she runs around the house moving from one place to another her bells jingling softly with the patter of her feet.
As she continues to grow, her father would replace her anklets to fit her and eventually some girls would stop wearing the bells. Others would choose to stop after marriage when their husbands take the fathers' anklets off to give his wife a pair he has selected. I own a few pairs from my father and continue to cherish them and pass the tradition down to my little loves as well. It is no wonder we love receiving jewelry, we became comfortable receiving these precious tokens of love by those who love us from a very small age.
Jewelry is a thoughtful language of love in the Indian culture. Major life events are all marked with jewelry. Bangles of silver or gold are given to teen girls by her parents as she comes of age. A bride wears an amazing amount of gold as she begins one of her great transitions all given to her to wear for her special day by her mother, her aunts and most dear ones. During the 7th month ceremony for an expectant mother in her 7th month of term, all the women give blessings as they place a bangle on the new mothers wrist as a token of joy. A women receives gorgeous precious gold designs for each child she bears.
Jewelry marks a critical moment and is more significant than its outward value and beauty. It serves as a reminder of something magnificent that changed the course of a woman's life.
Don't you think it is time we wear more meanful pieces? Shouldn't we carry the history of things of which we are proud or grateful? I think our history is something to celebrate. It is one of the many reasons I love designing jewelry for living. My love for travel and story telling is infused in the creation of a design to remind you of experiences from away lands.
This summer, we will be releasing some old styled anklets I have been collecting from India just for you. Be sure to stay in touch in our newsletter to know when they are available first!
With Much Gratitude,
Deepa
