In continuation to my post on Bhagavata puranam necklaces, here are a few more pieces of picture jewellery that I recently made based on Hindu deities. Here too, I have used antique images as jewellery.
Antique images as jewellery
As opposed to the images in the previous post, I have digitally edited and restored the scans of the images significantly. I have added borders, enhanced or changed colours and even added a few line details within the images. The trick is to keep it subtle so that the viewer can differentiate between the artistic intentions of the original artist and those of mine.
Because of the paper used and the printing technique, the photos do not do any justice to the jewellery. I will reveal behind the paper choice in my next post. Do check out videos on Instagram to get a sense of how they look and feel.
Ardhanaareeshwara Necklace
The term “Ardhanaareeshwara” translates to a being who is half man and half woman. It refers to the composite form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati literally and a combination of Purusha (masculine nature) and Prakriti (feminine energies) metaphorically. In the above image, you can see that the artist has coloured both sides of the body differently. They have dressed one half of the body in traditional female adornments and contrasted the other half.
Continuing with this play of contrasts, I have added rhinestone borders to the smooth resin base and combined lightweight aluminum beads with agates. I hope that the necklace brings its wearer a lot of joy. Find the video of the Ardhanaareeshwara necklace here.
Mahalakshmi Necklace
I have create several Lakshmi pendants in the past as Lakshmi Devi is the Goddess of wealth and a popular jewellery motif. While there are 8 forms of Lakshmi or Ashta Lakshmi, Mahalakshmi is a composite form encompassing all their abilities. As she is associated with lotus buds, I used bud beads in coral colour for the necklace, pairing them with peach and green agates. Find the video of the Mahalakshmi necklace here.
Saraswati Necklace
The image of Saraswati or the Goddess of knowledge is another repeated form in my jewellery. I have made both printed-image pendants and hand painted leather brooches based on her before.
Typically, I draw colours from the original image and then source my beads. But in the case of the Mahalakshmi and Saraswati necklaces, the beads (and their colours) came first. I then edited the images to get the look that I wanted. I love how glossy the pendant turned out to be. Find the video of the Saraswati necklace here.
All three pieces are sold.
PS: October 19th 2026, marked 18 years of Sayuri. Between family issues, Navaratri and travel, I couldn’t write a full post. Therefore, I take this opportunity to thank all of you – readers, friends, well-wishers, and clients for helping me get this far. I hope that we will all travel together joyfully for many more years to come.
I hope you find it interesting
Cheers
What do you think?