Eco-friendly accessories

Terracotta clay can be turned into eye-catching jewellery for the modern woman, writes

AT a cosy apartment in a bustling part of Batu Caves, a young woman is trying her hand at an ancient Indian craft. Terracotta clay has been used to create artifacts, sculptures and pottery for centuries in India. It is one of the oldest forms of craft and has stood the test of time.

This pure natural clay is also the perfect medium for eco-friendly jewellery and Jennifer Peter is hoping to send this message to more Malaysian women through her brand, called Jni’s Diva Handmade.

The brand, launched in August last year, has a range of terracotta jewellery that is a feast for the eyes.

Bursting with colour and vibrancy with designs that embrace both modern and ethnic inspirations, her necklaces and earrings are drawing an increasingly large fan base online.

Jennifer, a call centre team manager, never for a moment thought that her interest in jewellery-making would one day lead to her own online business.

She has always loved working with her hands and enjoys any kind of art and craft project.

Her interest in jewellery making though only came about recently after she started looking at various online sites and videos on jewellery making.

With her interest sparked, she started researching more on the subject, particularly on terracotta jewellery and even underwent online tutorials on jewellery making. After about two months, she was able to make some pieces for herself. RUSTIC BEAUTY

When friends and family started complimenting her on her jewellery and encouraged her to make them for sale, she decided to turn her hobby into a part-time business and Jni’s Diva Handmade was born.

Crafting terracotta jewellery is a labour intensive process, says Jennifer, but the results are stunning if one can commit to the endeavor.

She gets her terracotta clay from suppliers in India and it was from one of those suppliers that Jennifer also picked up many valuable tips on making terracotta jewellery and getting the best results from the clay.

“There is a lot of interest and demand for ethnic jewellery these days. Terracotta jewellery is special not only because it’s eco-friendly but because it can be mixed and matched with anything, from jeans and a black t-shirt to a saree.”

Jennifer’s pieces embrace a bold colour palette with shades such as royal blue, vermillion, bold orange, deep green and vibrant yellow.

Her jewellery boasts traditional Indian motifs like the peacock and lotus.There are also many designs in geometric shapes that have been beautifully painted and assembled into eye-catching pieces.

There is definitely a rustic charm to her jewellery which makes it appealing to the young woman with a bohemian style but one can just as easily imagine these pieces gracing an elegant dinner dress, silk saree or trendy Indo-Western ensemble.

Jennifer says her clients are mainly women bet een 30 and 40 years old and Tassel earrings to make a style statement. they like the unique appeal of terracotta jewellery. They are women who want conversation pieces and not the usual run-ofthe-mill accessories. Some of her clients have very specific designs that they want her to mimic while others give her free reign in crafting their pieces.

“It takes me about two to three weeks to Jewellery for the modern day princess. credit: Jni’s Diva Handmade.