Material: sterling silver, Afghan beads
Size: Length 52.5 cm
Order Number: JN1.13

The post Afghan Bead Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: sterling silver, amethyst, coral
Size: Length 45 cm
Order Number:

The post Amethyst and Coral Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Sterling silver, coral, amethyst
Style: Bali
Size: Length 45 cm
Order Number: JN3.7

The post Coral and Amethyst Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: sterling silver, green carnelian
Size: Length 47 cm
Order Number: JN1.2

The post Green Carnelian Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Silver
Style: Hmong
Size: Height 38 cm (including the lock): Lock:  Height 4 cm, Width 7 cm
Order Number: HSSLN1

This is a new piece.

The Miao people live in southern China mostly in Guizhou province. Miao sub-groups such as the Hmong live in northern Thailand and eastern Burma. The Hmong have 2 major branches, the White Hmong and the Green Hmong.

Many migrated to Laos. By 1850 they were established in the mountains around Luang Prabang. By the end of the 19th century there were several Hmong villages in Thailand. In 1984 there were 245 villages.

During World War II the Chinese tried to stop them speaking their own language or wearing their distinctive dress, but they failed.

The Maio keep much of their wealth in silver jewelry.

The Hmong wear silver spirit locks, which are are padlocks or hook shaped pendants, around the neck or on the body. They function as protective amulets  to ‘lock’ the soul of a person into his or her body in the case of spiritual malaise, illness, or accident.

The Hmong are animists, who believe that everything has one or more souls, containing spirits, which are good or bad. The spirits of deceased ancestors can affect the welfare and health of the family and have to be appeased with offerings and prayers.

Shamans can communicate with the spirits. Every house has an altar where spirits are worshiped.

Humans have three souls, which can be in disarray and might leave the body if a person is frightened or stressed.  A foreign spirit might enter a person’s body, causing  illness. These beliefs explain sickness and mental illness.

To cure people, the elders led by the shaman performed a Soul Calling ceremony, casting out bad spirits or inviting good spirits into the person’s body. The spirit lock prevented the person’s soul from escaping and stopped outside spirits entering.  The size of the amulet indicated the severity of the illness or problem.

There is an important ceremony for a newborn baby, called the
soul calling ceremony, hu plig. The Hmong believe that a newborn baby has 3 souls. The first soul enters the baby on conception, and the second soul when the baby takes its first breath. The third soul has to be called on the third morning after birth.

When all 3 souls are safely in the infant’s body, it will be healthy. If not, the baby may become ill and die. The ceremony starts before sunrise and continues until noon. There is a feast for the guests.

A shaman usually performs the ceremony. The baby is given a name.
The name represents its soul. If a wrong name is given, the soul of the child is not called and the right name has to be chosen. Naming is essential for well being and growth. If a wrong name is given, the child will cry and become ill. The chant includes words that instruct the soul about its home, siblings and family, and a promise that it will be looked after by the family.

The babies wear the spirit locks for life, often on their backs.  They may wear 3 or 4 spirit locks at a time.  They are usually fastened by chains to neck rings, which may be solid or hollow and worn either singly or in sets of up to 6 tiers.

Silver jewellery is valued highly by the Hmong and spirit locks are usually made from very high grade silver (95% or above).  They are decorated with traditional tribal motifs, which may originally have related to the illness to be cured. 

They are in many sizes and shapes, rectangular, triangular, half round and square. 

There are similar examples in Peoples of the Golden Triangle, Six Tribes in Thailand, Paul and Elaine Lewis, Thames and Hudson, 1998, pages 52, 54, 55 and 56.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Hmong Silver Spirit Lock Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Size: Length 51 cm
Order Number: JN16

The post Indian Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Sterling silver, coral, turquoise, pearl, crystal
Style: Bali
Size: Length 49.5 cm
Order Number: JN3.13

The post Mixed Stones Necklace appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Sterling silver, mirabin, glass beads, silver beads
Style: Bali
Size: Length 46 cm
Order Number: JN4.1

The post Necklace 4.1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Amber, rutile, sterling silver chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 51 cm
Order Number: JN4.11

The post Necklace 4.11 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Sterling silver, rubber chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 46 cm
Order Number: JN4.2

The post Necklace 4.2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Glass beads, silver beads, sterling silver chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 50.5 cm
Order Number: JN4.5

The post Necklace 4.5 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Turmalin, silver beads, sterling silver chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 46.5 cm
Order Number: JN4.6

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Material: Amethysts, silver beads, sterling silver chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 51 cm
Order Number: JN4.7

The post Necklace 4.7 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Amber, mirabin, glass beads, silver beads, rubber chain
Style: Bali
Size: Length 46 cm
Order Number: JN4.8

The post Necklace 4.8 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Sterling silver, shell
Style: Bali
Size: Length 44 cm: pendant: length 6.5 cm, width 3 cm
Order Number: JN33

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Material: sterling silver, onyx
Size: Length 43 cm
Order Number: JN1.6

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Pearls, quartz, gold-plated silver clasp

Size: Length 19 cm
Order Number: PB5

An oyster shell creates a pearl when a foreign body, such as a grain of sand, lodges inside it and is surrounded by layers of nacre, a calcium carbonate substance secreted inside the oyster. No two pearls are the same shape or colour.

The colour of pearls varies with the thickness of the concentric layers of nacre.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Pearl and Quartz Bracelet appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Pearls, silver clasp

Size: Length 19 cm
Order Number: PB1

An oyster shell creates a pearl when a foreign body, such as a grain of sand, lodges inside it and is surrounded by layers of nacre, a calcium carbonate substance secreted inside the oyster. No two pearls are the same shape or colour.

The colour of pearls varies with the thickness of the concentric layers of nacre.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Pearl Bracelet 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Pearls, silver clasp

Size: Length 19 cm
Order Number: PB2

An oyster shell creates a pearl when a foreign body, such as a grain of sand, lodges inside it and is surrounded by layers of nacre, a calcium carbonate substance secreted inside the oyster. No two pearls are the same shape or colour.

The colour of pearls varies with the thickness of the concentric layers of nacre.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Pearl Bracelet 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Pearls, silver clasp

Size: Length 19 cm
Order Number: PB3

An oyster shell creates a pearl when a foreign body, such as a grain of sand, lodges inside it and is surrounded by layers of nacre, a calcium carbonate substance secreted inside the oyster. No two pearls are the same shape or colour.

The colour of pearls varies with the thickness of the concentric layers of nacre.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Pearl Bracelet 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.