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·         Handmade jewellery has been worn by men and women since long before the dawn of time. Flowers garlands, woven grass bracelets, shells, and stone were among the first ornaments to adorn the human body. According to a recent article by National Geographic News, humanity may have been wearing jewellery as far back as 75,000 years ago, 30,000 years earlier than previously thought. For the best shop handmade jewelry, visit our website today.

Jewelry styles and materials have developed throughout millennia in tandem with the advancement of civilisation. Styles have evolved, updated, and then reverted to their most basic shapes and vital parts throughout history, from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, from the Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution (and presumably back again!).

Today, most jewellery is manufactured by machines, which allows producers to generate standardised jewellery designs at a lower cost than traditional handcrafting and hand-casting procedures. Metals, polymers, and resins can now be easily processed into homogeneous moulds by casting machines, allowing even intricate jewellery designs to be made quickly and uniformly. To help ensure the manufacture of a consistent, highly profitable product, mechanical punch presses and forges are also extensively used in the jewellery manufacturing sector today.

However, in the last decade, the modern marketplace has seen a resurgence of interest in handmade jewellery, with a renewed emphasis on one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces created by hand using traditional techniques.

Jewelry artists all around the world are benefiting from increased sales and recognition for their abilities and skills as a result of this revitalised demand. Handmade jewellery is now available in an expanding number of specialty galleries and even big department stores. With the introduction and widespread use of the Internet as a sales tool around the world, many international jewellery artists, even those in rural areas, are benefiting from direct sales to distant buyers.

Novica is the world's largest online marketplace for handcrafted jewellery, with over 15,000 unique creations from master artists in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Regina Bimadona, who is also a jewellery artist, is the director of Novica's regional office in Bali. She works closely with master jewellers in Bali and Java, assisting them in bringing their collections, as well as the unique stories behind them, to enthusiastic clients throughout the world. Bimadona focuses in aiding jewellers who use traditional, handcrafted techniques to create limited-edition designs.

Bimadona explains the fundamental contrasts between handmade and mass-produced jewellery, as well as the merits and downsides of both handmade and machine-made techniques, in the following interview.

CG: What distinguishes truly handcrafted jewellery?

RB: Handmade jewellery is manufactured by hand rather than mechanically by machines. Handmade jewellers construct their chosen forms and shapes using traditional metalsmithing abilities, minimal equipment, and a wide range of techniques. Each item's individuality, its dissimilarity from comparable pieces, can often be seen in handmade jewellery. Even if no information is offered with the jewellery, you can typically perceive the cultural originality, significance, and even history behind many of these pieces. Handcrafted jewellery techniques necessitate a great deal of focus, time, talent, creativity, and dedication. This is typically visible in the finished piece, distinguishing good handmade jewellery from mass-produced, uniform products.

CG: Are there any other ways for purchasers to distinguish between truly handmade jewellery and mass-produced jewellery that appears to be handmade at first glance? For example, while some jewellery in today's huge department stores may appear "rustic," this does not always imply that it was crafted by hand.

RB: You'll notice that authentic handmade jewellery isn't always identical to other pieces of the same style. Many components of jewellery with a lot of adornment are often the easiest to analyse. Examine each individual component; you'll often be able to see how they're connected and built. Jewelry that is mass-produced or machine-made has a more stiff and consistent appearance. Although good quality handmade jewellery should be constructed to last, and this should be evident in the intricacies, some handmade, traditional-style jewellery appears less perfect than machine-made jewellery. Surprisingly, I've discovered that machine-made jewellery breaks more frequently than well-made handcrafted jewellery. While much of the mass-produced jewellery offered as "handmade" today, such as in department shops, may be handmade, this does not always imply that it is of the greatest quality. Even if the jewellery is theoretically manufactured by hand, mass-production facilities generally compel artists to fulfil efficiency requirements, resulting in poorly constructed jewellery made using cheaper materials. I suggest looking for handcrafted jewellery that isn't mass-produced or sold in vast quantities. An artisan's name and reputation are frequently proudly tied to high-quality handmade jewellery. Quality and distinctiveness, fortunately, are usually obvious to the keen observer.

CG: What are the advantages of buying handcrafted jewellery vs mass-produced jewellery?

RB: Handmade jewellery provides the joy of unique, often rare designs that are not-identical, and is often made with tremendous love and passion by a true artist. Jewelry is a work of art. This strength of feeling, I believe, comes through in the creative process and in the finished product. Items that are mass-produced just lack soul. Handmade jewellery, in my opinion, better reflects the wearer's individuality and style, showing individuality and interest. Wearing mass-produced jewellery in a common style gives the wearer the impression of being somewhat mass-produced, in my opinion. It is true that mass-produced jewellery is less expensive to buy because it is less expensive to make, but it is not always less expensive to buy. Regardless, mass-produced jewellery usually has no specific meaning or history attached to it — no storey, no life. It's a delight to be able to explain to admirers the actual tale or history behind what you're wearing, or information about the artist, when you wear beautiful handmade jewellery, which is often possible with handmade jewellery purchased from individual artisans or their representative galleries. Above all, it's a pleasure to wear jewellery that has been handcrafted by someone who cares.

CG: In your region of the world, who are some of your favourite handcrafted jewellery artisans, and why?

RB: One of my favourite jewellery craftsmen in Bali is Wayan Sarjana. In addition to his high-quality handmade jewellery, he has a beautiful personality. His designs are beautiful, his pricing are reasonable, and his imagination is limitless. Other local favourites include Mariella, Priyo Salim, Agung Pribadi, Janice Ripley, and Zayd. Fortunately, they've all decided to join on the Novica Web site, as have many of our other top artists here, so I now have the privilege of assisting and representing them. Each of their biographies and collections may be found in the Novica Handmade Jewelry section, along with thorough explanations of why I appreciate and recommend these jewellers, as well as other favourite jewellers and craftsmen.

CG: What drew you to learn to produce jewellery by hand in the first place? When did you first start? What style and materials do you prefer?

RB: I have an art and design background. Working with my hands has always piqued my interest since it allows me to connect my soul, mind, and body while creating something new and fascinating. I enjoy having intimate dialogues with the materials I work with, as well as playing with them in my mental world and watching how various components evolve and transform into new forms of existence. It's thrilling. During the creation of any piece of art, including jewellery, many new ideas and silent conversations emerge. In 1988, while attending the Indonesia Art Institute, I began making jewellery. Then I began to learn this art form by visiting a friend's jewellery studio nearby on a regular basis. When one of our major Indonesian publications launched jewellery design competitions a few years later, I entered and was a finalist twice, in 1990 and 1991. Both contemporary and traditional styles appeal to me. I adore working with a variety of materials, including sterling silver, gold, copper, wood, leather, bone, amber, and natural gemstones and pearls, among others.

CG: Do you have time to manufacture handmade jewellery these days, or are you too preoccupied with your administrative responsibilities?

RB: I wish I had more time today to design my own jewellery! I'm swamped with Novica. Fortunately, the majority of my Novica job centres around my passions. My days are spent visiting with the most intriguing master artists and jewellers in our region. Also, because of my personal knowledge in art, particularly handcrafted jewellery, I am frequently able to provide helpful business advice to the artisans with whom I collaborate, which gives me a lot of pleasure. I continue to develop a few jewellery designs of my own, and I continue to acquire materials, particularly diamonds and pearls, for some upcoming jewellery lines. Jewelry is such an ardent interest of mine. Whether I'm working as a designer or assisting those who are committed to this lovely and artistic way of life, I adore every minute of it. Looking for shop handmade home decor? Visit our website for more information.