Hand-decorated ear cuff from the Nepal collection

• 100% silver-plated alpaca
• Width up to approx. 1.5 cm
• Approximate weight approx. 2 g

Nepal Jewelry Collection - repoussé ornaments from a village at the foot of the Himalayas

Himalayan peaks are a symbol of crossing geographical, creative, and interpersonal boundaries. Designer Anna Orska loved them for changing the scale of things. What fills the horizon at the bottom turns out to be only a small fragment of it from above. Things that, moments ago, occupied my full attention suddenly shrink, revealing new possibilities. The Nepal collection arose from this shift in perspective. From a return to a place that, in 2016, was at the forefront of global craftsmanship, and to fellow artists who measure patience in millimeters. Each ornament adorning the jewelry from the Nepal collection was formed by thousands of hammer and chisel strikes, moving in rhythms established centuries ago. Each tells a story like a coded language. The shape, rhythm, and way of combining motifs are not accidental - they convey messages that have remained recognizable to the community for centuries, even if the modern recipient sees them primarily as a beautiful pattern.

Silver-plated ear cuff from the Nepal collection

The ear cuff with plant ornaments is made of alpaca, which was covered with a layer of silver in the ORSKA workshop. The ornaments adorning it are derived from Buddhist and Hindu aesthetics. The winding vines symbolize the continuity of life, development and growth, the connection between humanity and nature, and the endless cycle of rebirth. The most important symbol of Nepal and Himalayan Buddhism is the lotus. Its leaves – also adorning the earring – symbolize a change of perspective, a new perspective, and an opening to new directions.

How are the precise repoussé ornaments from the Nepal collection created?

It is said that it takes a craftsman from the Kathmandu Valley about a decade to achieve even basic repoussé proficiency. In reality, this art is honed throughout a lifetime. In a repoussé workshop, a master works without the possibility of corrections. The pattern is created by striking recesses into the underside of thin sheet metal with chisels of various profiles, leaving a convex relief on the other side – later refined from the front during the chiseling process. Repoussé floral ornaments are very labor-intensive. Before a decorated component leaves the Nepalese village and reaches our workshop, where it takes the form of a necklace, bracelet, ring or brooches, it is shaped by hundreds of hammer blows from a Newari master. Precise ornaments are the heart of the earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets from this collection.