Sep 10, 2020

Delicate jewellery inspired by tribes and tradition

Meet the makers: Soni lineage and Kalebelia tribes

We have been working with talented silversmiths in Rajasthan to make our jewellery for many years.

Rajasthan is a traditional part of India that creates a vivid and visual feast for the senses. Walk the streets there and you will likely see camels, peacocks, giant turbans and swashbuckling moustaches, elaborately clad gypsy girls with huge nose rings and bright saris!

i made your jewellery, meet the makers, forage design

Our jewellery makers are predominantly of the Soni lineage, known as the goldsmiths of India! Their skills are passed down from father to son for generation after generation. We work with these experienced metalsmiths, in materials such as silver and brass, to create our stunning jewellery collection.

ethical jewellery, made by hand usinf traditional techniques

Our jewellery is made using traditional techniques. Sitting cross legged on the floor at a small work station and using traditional hand tools for the metalwork.

There are a number of different ways we develop our jewellery designs. Sometimes we start with a sketch or illustration of how we would like the final piece to look. Sometimes Rich, who is a silver smith himself, will create the initial sample and bring it in for them to replicate.

inside our silversmith's metal working studio

The sampling process can take time and it requires creative patience. An idea might not look quite right, and we have to try it again and again before we agree that we are all happy with the finished product, and can make multiple pieces.

We love doing a little “window shopping” when we are in our silversmiths’ studio. It is a lot of fun curating collections which are a mix of our own designs and those of our skilled makers.

window shopping in pushkar, a man is sitting on the floor of his small shop with piles of gemstines and jewellery around him

We also take inspiration from traditional Indian jewellery. The richness of tribal and ethnic designs available in India is just mind blowing, and we love working with traditional Indian designs and giving them a Forage spin, tweaking them to fit with our collections!

Sourced in northern India, the stunning designs of this chainmail jewellery is something we cannot take credit for, but it reveals the beauty that can be found when foraging in lands far and wide.

The delicate details behind this metalwork belongs to the Kalebelia tribes of the Rajasthani desert.

Chunky, heavy and elaborate, the Kalebelia tribal people traditionally wear the family wealth around their necks, ankles and wrists. The heavier, the better, and ideally solid gold or silver!

To recreate this beautiful tribal look, we have used the same chainmail work, made in Brass, which is a pure mixture of copper and zinc.

The exquisite link work is made by hand, by individually bending the metal panels over each other to build these intricate chainmail pieces.