Opal Bracelet
(11 items)Explore NOVICA's Opal Bracelet Collection. Discover traditional and contemporary styles, ranging from accented bangles to opal- encrusted cuffs, handcrafted by global artisans to showcase the many different plays of color that characterize this coveted stone. Opals are thought to attract wealth, health and happiness.
The Village Council
Your answers straight from the village experts
Artisans the world over utilize the natural materials at their disposal to create beautiful, sustainable jewelry. Wood, bamboo and dried gourds. Coconut shells, rattan and terra-cotta. Even natural grasses lend themselves to a jeweler's creativity while art glass beads and pendants can be made from discarded bottles. Some artisans reclaim precious silver from photographic negatives. Colorful magazine pages can become tightly-rolled beads protected by a coat of varnish. Always creative, artists craft their bracelets out of innovative, eco-conscious materials.
Handmade women's bracelets each have their own unique characteristics. Color, texture, size and design all vary. Often, the technique alone will tell you, for example, hand-knotted, braided or woven bracelets. Leather bracelets with cutout motifs or embossing are usually crafted by hand.Thai jewelry by Karen silversmiths shows hand-stamped geometric or floral motifs and beads are usually made of fine silver, which is more malleable than sterling. Similarly, filigree jewelry is a meticulous handcrafted process. Most bracelets with natural, sustainable or recycled materials are handmade. Even some of the most sophisticated and modern gold and silver may be signed by the artist who made it.The most common indicator that a bracelet is handmade is the detailed and intricate design. Novica artisans demonstrate their techniques in the many videos on www.novica.com youll find the links on their product descriptions and also on the artisan bio page.
Traditional bracelet-making techniques have been passed down over generations around the world. Women's bracelets in gold and silver are usually crafted with the lost wax technique. The image is sculpted in wax and enveloped in a mold materia. As molten gold or silver is poured into the mold, the wax image melts and the metal takes its place. However coiling fine strands of metal results in Andean filigree jewelry. Balinese artistry applies polished spirals and tendrils as well as tiny globes known as jawan to sleek silver jewelry. And a few contemporary artisans even weave or crochet the slender silver strands.Jade was highly prized by the Maya and still has an important place in modern Guatemalan jewelry. Amber from the rich mines in southern Mexico adorns the women's bracelets, necklaces, and earrings of the area. Macrame and beading are popular everywhere for boho style. And West Africas handmade beadwork is renowned the world over.
women's bracelets carried immense cultural significance in ancient times and they still do. In Perus pre-Hispanic societies, gold represented the sun, and jewelry indicated social status and identity, as it also did among the Maya of Mexico and Central America. In India, bangles or kangans showed a woman was married and are a part of the 16 adornments customarily worn by a Hindu bride. Traditional West African beads are a sign of cultural identity. Each one has a meaning and tells a story.Today, women's bracelets are still culturally significant. In India, jewelry often depicts religious symbols and meditative mantras. Balinese bracelets may also depict dragons, thought to be the protectors of the gods, or the Hindu Barong deity, also a protection symbol. Motifs stamped into Karen hill tribe silver encourage living in harmony with nature. The hand-knotted bracelets of Guatemala symbolize friendship but evolved from a silent protest for loved ones missing during the country's armed conflict. Today, friends each tie a bracelet on the others arm and make a wish. The bracelet is worn until it wears out and falls off so the wish will come true.
Silver, gold, brass and copper have been popular for thousands of years and are often set with colorful gemstones. Artisans in different regions of the world take advantage of unique local resources, such as Brazilian golden grass, leather and coconut shell from Thailand, and carved bone jewelry from Bali. Intricate openwork carving, known as jali, can be seen in bangles from India. West Africa has a long tradition of beadwork, with beautiful beads made from recycled glass and even plastic becoming popular in recent years.
Featured Reviews on Opal Bracelet
Opal beaded bracelet, 'Stylish Teal'
By Mary
Beautiful Birthday Gift
When I ordered this bracelet for my daughter's birthday, I was a bit worried that it might not get to her in time. I was NOT disappointed! I was amazed how quickly it arrived from Peru! She loved the bracelet! It was beautifully crafted. The beads were delicate and was as pictured. It was a beautiful color. Thank you again!
Opal beaded bracelet, 'Opal Elegance'
By Maria’s
My granddaughter wears this all the time.
The bracelet is so beautiful. It s so shiny and bright. I bought this for my granddaughter for her birthday. She loved it! It was one of her favorite birthday presents.
Opal link bracelet, 'Secrets'
By William
Last pice to complete this set
This pieces are a great work of art. Have purchased necklace earrings an bracket. She loves this pieces thanks .
Featured Artist
“My inspiration comes from the stones themselves. When I hold a gemstone in my hands, I see what that particular stone is best suited for and how to best develop it."
Born in Ayacucho in 1949, Tiberio Gonzales moved to Lima as a teenager to find work. "By chance, I was offered a job cutting gemstones, and... read more
The Opal Bracelet
Always mesmerizing, opal surrounds the user with an aura of mystery and charisma. Pure opal is colorless while black opal is quite rare and valuable. The Peruvian opal tends toward rose, blue and pale green, and figures prominently in many styles of opal jewelry. Many believe it to be the stone of visionaries.
The opal bracelet pairs beautifully with opal pendants, chokers and chandelier earrings. The stone's lucid beauty enhances the pearl ring or pendant. Novica presents its elegant Opal Bracelet Collection, made by talented jewelers and silversmiths around the planet. We have numerous types of opal bracelets available, including link, cuff, and charm. We hope you enjoy our elegant opal bracelets as much as we do!
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