Meet the Makers - India
- April Wagner
- Sep 23, 2016
- 2 min read
UPCYCLING BONE, TRANSFORMING LIVES
I have received a lot of questions about the upcycled bone jewelry from India, so I'm very excited to share this peak inside the process our partner just shared with us. Pictured below, husband and wife team, Naseem and Nasima, started their bone jewelry craft 8 years ago when they could not afford to provide for their family, with help from the local fair trade cooperative. Thanks to their journey with upcycling bone into beautiful jewelry, they are able to support their seven children and their parents, as well as provide jobs for members of their community.
Behind the Process:
In the workshop, the artisans create beautiful earrings and necklaces from bone purchased at a bone market run by the government. The material is made up of by-product from farms, restaurants and slaughterhouses. Most of the bones are from water buffalo. Here is a peak behind the process to see how they transform bare bone into beautiful jewelry:
From Bare Bones to Beautiful Jewelry
The artisans cut, sand, and smooth the bone to sculpt it into the outline. Then, they carve the silhouette and etch delicate designs into the pieces.
A Design in the Rough
They finish off this segment of the process by cutting holes in each piece so that they can be strung through the wires.
Transforming a Blank Slate with Bright Hues
Next, they color the pieces with AZO-free natural dyes.
Lastly, the artisans string the bone pieces and brass beads through wire by hand to create gorgeous jewelry. A lot of time and skill goes into each piece that comes out of the cooperative in India and we greatly appreciate all of their hard work!
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