I donno if being a Middle Eastern or travelling a lot had to do with my fascination by tribal jewellery. So much so to an extent that in almost every city I’ve been to, I never left without a statement piece as a souvenir to later add to my ever expanding collection. For me, no piece of dainty diamond encrusted jewellery can match the charm these traditional pieces embody!
But as much as I love my OTT – sometime antique, decades old pieces - bought from rural parts of places like Yemen, Nepal, Iran, Syria and Jordan I do find it hard to pull off on daily basis and I’m always on the look for something slightly more chic and wearable yet still as interesting to go with my wardrobe.
My latest find, jewellery label TSURA takes inspiration from the travels of its HK-born Singapore-based designer Tara Thadani who grew up globe-trotting the world, and provides pieces with are tribal in their theme yet very wearable and chic.
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TSURA's Daphne necklace is inspired by tribal potion bottle used in voodoo
practices. Who would have thought black magic could look so chic? |
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| The Belladonna ring is just like a crystal ball on your finger! Love it! |
As described by Tara, whose label started designing as a hobby out of passion, a lot of inspiration from her gorgeous pieces come from places she had visited – whether the hustle bustle of streets in Mumbai, the peaceful dzongs in Bhutan, the aromatic spice markets in Istanbul, the deserts of Jordan. Her designs are for a tribe of people with a global nomadic lifestyle and who appreciate the meaning behind it.
TSURA’s latest collection for SS13 ‘Voodoo’ takes inspiration from the mysticism of Voodoo and Shamanism where some elements of these spiritual practices are incorporated in elegant silver and gold plated pieces exuding mysticism and charm.
One example – and perhaps my favourite - is that of the shark’s tooth, which became the iconic talisman of the collection. The story goes that the shark’s tooth was used by shark callers, the ‘sorcerers of the sea’ from Papua New Guinea who had an incredible ability to call sharks. Pieces like the Blacktip pendants and earrings are a reminiscent of a time when this mighty creature’s tooth was worn as talisman to protect the wearer against evil spirit.
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| Blacktip earrings in gold, inspired by shark's tooth... |
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| And the Blacktip ring in oxidized silver. Gorgeous!!! |
Another stunning piece is the Daphne necklace inspired by a secret bottle for carrying potions and decorated with single cut diamonds, cabochons of onyx and fossilized mammouth ivory to top it off. The intricacy of this piece is just stunning!
I also love the Belladonna ring with a crystal ball that you can pretend to read the future in while looking good on your finger ;-)
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Who knew Voodoo could be so inspiring like this Daphne necklace?
The intricate design is just stunning!!! |
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| And the poison cuff |
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| Love TSURA's Belladonna ring! |
All in all, I really admire the work and passion that goes into designing every piece of TSURA jewellery. The attention to detail and the material used (semi-precious and precious stones with 925 silver) means that it is not a fad-driven mass-produced accessory which goes in and out of fashion but more of an investment piece which one you love, you’d want to wear everyday and keep forever.
And most importantly, just like tribal jewellery, they’ve got an interesting story to tell.
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| More stunning pieces from TSURA's Voodoo collection |
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