different jewelry

By Mexico's Roy Nilson, this beautiful necklace takes the form of an amulet known as the hamsa, which means "five" in Arabic. It is considered a defense against the evil eye. Popular in Jewish culture, its five fingers can represent the five books of the Torah and the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which represents one of the holy names of God. It is also a reminder to praise God with all five senses.

Handcrafted of sterling silver, the necklace showcases Taxco artistry.

The unforgettable omkara symbol for om is realized in a sterling silver pendant, decorated with traditional temesir maze motifs. Bali's Asmara Putra designs this stretch bracelet, expressing a unity with the universe. He strings the bracelet with round beads of natural red tiger's eye.

Seated on a tiger, Shiva lifts a hand in blessing. Regarded as the celestial overlord of deliverance through destruction, Shiva has his customary trident by his side as a show of divinity. The hissing cobra that slithers around his head symbolizes his potent divine destructivity, and his matted hair is thought to contain the flow of the Ganges River. Shiva is one of the most complex gods of India, embodying seemingly contradictory qualities. He is both the destroyer and the restorer, the great ascetic and the symbol of sensuality, the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful avenger. Unaffected by the whims of the world, he is innocent and guileless, pure of mind and heart. He does not adorn his body with jewels or flowers — he mats his hair and dresses in animal hide.

Ida Bagus Lawa Bargawa is a master of the batik technique, sketching the figures by hand and applying the wax resist freehand, which requires great skill. A different dye bath is required for each separate color in his elegant and complex batik "painting."

Carved from crocodile wood and painted by hand, this diminutive box depicts Sugriwa amid birds and flowers. Gung Gus creates the lovely design. The Hindu epic Ramayana tells how Sugriwa and his brother Subali bathed in the enchanted lake of the forest, thus turning into monkeys and becoming kings of different kingdoms. They helped Rama rescue Sita from the evil king Rahwana.

Holding the different symbols of his power in his four hands, the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha is revered in this sterling silver pendant necklace from India. Neetu Barathi designs this necklace, which is crafted by local artisans.

Circling the wrist with a hand-knotted nylon wristband in crimson, this bracelet is created by Mexican artisan Janeth Quintanilla. She selects gleaming beads of glass that are displayed alongside a variety of different metal charms, including religious symbols, animals, good luck charms, and hearts.

Vishnu is the supreme creator and guardian of the universe, transcending space and time and inspiring many artists throughout history. Balinese artisan Nyoman Rena says he draws inspiration from this powerful deity to create this handcrafted sterling silver pendant necklace with an amethyst stone embellishing a Vishnu image.

"My hope regarding world peace: may all creatures in the world always be in harmony, peaceful horizontally and vertically or what is called the concept of Tri Hita Karana in the teachings of Hinduism. Meanwhile, the reality of the world today is different, it is turning away from our expectations, such as economic war or competition in life which justifies all means and forgets the principles of brotherhood and kinship," says the artisan.