With Diwali around the corner, here is the final range of handmade jewellery from my festive collection for this year. Made from henna stamp blocks and glass beads, these embody the gypsy soul,. Hence the name Nomad. They have been in the making for a while and now, I feel like I can show them off. Please do take a look at these Nomad floral block necklaces which are available for sale.
Nomad – Origin story
Henna stamps or Chhap (in Hindi) are popular tools used in street mehendi by female gypsies (kurathi – Tamil) in India. It is a popular form of temporary tattooing common during street fairs and temple festivals. While they are meant to be used with mehendi oil, the stamps or blocks are increasingly used with a maroon coloured chemical (black henna) to get a long lasting tattoo with a dark colour. However, this may irritate sensitive skin. When I saw them on my street during a temple festival, I wondered if there was a way in which I could wear the stamp and get the colour without the chemical touching my body.
Ta da! I had an idea for a new range of jewellery – necklaces with floral blocks as pendants.
Nomad floral block necklaces
I thoroughly cleaned my stamps to remove any chemical residue, coloured and sealed them. They remained as blocks for a few months until I made one into a pendant necklace for a friend. She was thrilled. It remined her of her childhood visits to a temple with her mother, where they would both get henna stamps.
I glued bails into the four other stamps that I had. After remaining as UFOs for several more months and after several iterations – some of which I posted online, here is the final range of four Nomad floral block necklaces for sale.
Havan
Havan is necklace of glass beads in golden yellow and brown with a floral wooden pendant. While the pendant design is that of a pulli kolam (rangoli) I think with the colouring, the pendant looks like a havan kund/homa kundam. A havan kund is a box like structure or vessel that Hindus use to perform a Vedic fire ritual – Havan/homa for the well being of themselves, their family or the entire human kind. Since Nomad is a festive range, I want each piece to signify auspiciousness, warmth and goodness.
This pendant is the largest of the four in this range and is approx a 2.5 inch square.
Mayil
Mayil has faceted glass beads in green, crystals, metal spacers and a floral block pendant. Doesn’t the centre of the block remind you of a peacock with its feathers spread out? It does to me, and hence the name – Mayil meaning peacock in Tamil.
Mandala
Reminiscent of the “Kamalam mandalas” drawn in the ceilings of Hindu temples in Southern India, this piece has a mandala like pendant. What’s more? It has little lamp motifs or diyas making it perfect for Diwali. Pendant necklace of black glass beads knotted together with blue cord for sale.
Phool
Phool or flower is one that best captures the spirit of nomad. I have used a simple floral block with orange and teal glass beads. Such a block would be used to imprint the centre of the palm. A few of these beads are from the Swap N Hop 2023.
I hope you that like this range of floral block necklaces. When I did an initial survey, people said that they wanted to wear such blocks with a simple cord. I tried it out but I did not find any harmony in them. In my opinion, for a design to work, it needs to have a soul. In this case, a nomadic gypsy soul. I identify as one and therefore the beaded chains appeal to me.
I wanted each necklace to speak to a different personality and I hope that you find that speaks to you. Tell me in the comments, the piece that you resonate the most with.
I hope you find it interesting
Cheers
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