Breaking the stereotype: Rise of non-metal jewellery
We interviewed some of the people making colourful jewellery with materials like clay, resin and yarn
In its most archaic form, jewellery was carved out of bones, shells and wood. When metals were discovered, people began to make jewellery with them.
However, the beauty and charm of non-metal ornaments never died down. And with fashion being a fluid concept, it kept being reintroduced.
We interviewed some of the owners of popular jewellery brands in the country that are making modern and colorful pieces with materials like clay, resin and yarn.
Poohtastic: Crocheting imaginations and rocking resins
Poohtastic is a Chattogram based online accessory shop that sells resin and crochet jewellery, primarily earrings and pendants.
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"Back in 2019, I wanted to give a crocheted piece to my friend but I did not know how to do it. With the help of YouTube, I learned and since then I have not stopped," Founder of Poohtastic Irtifa Tasnim Punno shared with us.
Irtifa is a sophomore at the Economics Department at Chattogram University.
She also makes ornaments out of resin with dried flowers and petals.
"I have always found transparent objects fascinating, and flowers are my forever favourite things on earth. Combining these two was one of the most satisfying things I have ever done," Irtifa added.
One can even send dried flowers to Poohtastic and Irfita will make a beautiful piece out of it.
It takes three to four days for Irtifa to make a customised piece. The brand sells about 150 customised products a month.
The price range is between Tk150 and Tk450.
Thread Mark: Embroidering stories
To nurture her childhood passion for art and crafts, Mithila Akter founded the brand 'Thread Mark' in 2020.
Mithila is doing her Bachelor's at the University of Dhaka. Growing up, she was always involved with sewing and embroidering, and at one point, she wanted to do a business out of them.
Thread Mark sells embroidered pendants with different patterns and themes.
She even embroiders characters of trending TV series and those are her best-selling products.
"Accessory is a way of unfolding one's taste, thought and individuality. It is intriguing when a piece of jewellery silently reveals your story," she says with awe.
Thread Mark is primarily a pre-order-based brand. A typical pendant needs two to three hours to make. So within two working days, Mithila is able to deliver a product.
A pendant costs Tk180 to Tk320, depending on the design.
Uronto Arshola: Playing with clay
About nine months ago, Fatin Hamama and her elder sister Maria Nur formed a jewellery brand named 'Uronto Arshola'.
"To me, fashion is everything one can take comfort in enough to make it an identity," she said, adding, "It is the one space where we can simply blend in without worrying about standing out," she described with passion.
Uronto Arshola makes handmade and limited edition clay trinkets.
Fatin is the lead designer and looks after the creatives whereas Maria handles everything on the business side.
Growing up, Fatin always adored the process of painting. But instead of working with brushes, she wanted to be creative with clay.
She could take a slab of clay and turn it into anything she wanted.
The whole process of making a single piece of jewellery is about a week long. Everything is made from handmade, air dried clay that is sturdy and lightweight.
When they are varnished with organic sealants, they become waterproof.
If stored with care, just like any other pieces of jewellery, they would last for years.
"Nowadays, every new piece that we post gets sold out within a few hours. Apart from that, the heartfelt praises and warm reviews from customers also work as motivating factors for us," says Fatin.
A pair of earrings cost Tk400 to Tk1,500 and necklaces cost Tk600 to Tk1,800. The brand also sells bridal headpieces, which can cost you around Tk1,600 to Tk2,000.
