Natural Materials
Much of our range of jewellery and fashion accessories is made either fully or partly from natural materials, making them more eco-friendly and sustainable which is great for the environment and you! Here are details concerning some of the materials used:
Bamboo
Bamboo is perennial evergreen belonging to the grass family. The stems of bamboo are hollow and it grows in a columnar way. It is extremely fast growing, depending upon climate and conditions it can grow up to full height and girth within 3 - 4 months. It is mainly grown in South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia where it is important culturally; for example, it is the national plant in St Lucia. Bamboo is an amazingly versatile material. It's uses include food, medicine (in China), paper, furniture, musical instruments, construction, cloth and has even been used for making bicycles!
For the purposes of jewellery and accessories it is easy to cut and shape as well as being decorative, durable and biodegradable.
Coconut
Coconuts come from the coconut palm. This is a large palm tree which can grow up to 30 metres tall. It is grown throughout the tropical world with the fruit, i.e. the coconut, being used for many culinary purposes, and the husk, together with the leaves, bark and wood having a wide variety of uses. Nearly all parts of the tree are useful, in Malaysia it is known as the tree of a thousand uses and in the Philippines it is commonly known as the Tree of Life.
Coconut shell is highly durable, can be polished, carved and is beautifully decorative, so is ideal for jewellery, buttons and hair accessories. The palm can be woven into accessories such as purses and bags.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft fibre that grows in a protective capsule around the seeds of the cotton plant. Once it has been harvested the cotton is procesed to remove the seeds from the fibre which is then combed for spinning into yarn. Cotton yarn is highly versatile as it is strong, smooth, easily dyed, breathable and can combined with other fibres such as linen and polyester. It is used for an extensive range of textiles, although it is also used in paper, fishnets, gunpowder and for bookbinding. Cotton shrubs are native to tropical and subtropical regions including India, Pakistan, Africa and the Americas and has been cultivated for thousands of years. It is the most widely used natural fibre textile used in the world today.
Cowrie Shells
Cowrie or cowry is the common name for the shells of sea snails. The shells are usually egg shaped, shiny and porcelain like which makes them favoured for jewellery and decorative purposes. They are found worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical seas.
Mother of Pearl
Mother of pearl, also known as nacre, is the composite material produced by some molluscs. It is a very favoured material because not only is it beautiful, being iridescent, but is also extremely strong and resilient so making it a good material to work with.
Paua Shell
Paua is the Maori name given to three species of sea snail (haliotid) which are found in New Zealand, the three species are: silver paua, paua, and virgin paua. Of these paua is the most common and grows up to 18cm in length. They are found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shoreline. The Maori have traditionally prized them both as a food source and for the use of the shell for jewellery and crafts. The interior of the shell is iridescent and is usually of intense green, purple and blue, though sometimes pink too.
Freshwater Pearls
Pearls are created by many molluscs although few of them produce desirable pearls such as those produced by pearl oysters. Pearls are made up of many layers of nacre which is produced by molluscs as a defence response to irritants such as parasites. Naturally produced pearls are rare and most pearls produced today are cultured. Cultured pearls are created through the planting of a nucleus, such as a bead made from shell and/or mantle tissue into the host mollusc. The pearl is then gradually formed as the mollusc builds layers of nacre around the nucleus or tissue when it's natural defence response is triggered. This may be natural or induced artificially in order to create the pearl more quickly.
Freshwater pearls are created by molluscs which live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of freshwater. They can reside in hot or cool climates and are often cultured using tissue only.
X-rays reveal how a pearl has been created, for example, a natural pearl will show concentric layers right to it's core, a cultured pearl created using a nucleus or bead will show a solid centre surrounded by the layers of nacre created by the mollusc. If mantle tissue without a bead is used, it is more difficult to distinguish if the pearl is natural.
Pearls are categroized according to size and shape and cultured freshwater pearls can be dyed. The lustre of a pearl is generally related to the thinness and number of layers.
Gemstones
Gemstones, also known as precious or semi-precious stones, are usually made from minerals which when cut and polished are used to make jewellery etc. Some rocks such as lapis-lazuli and organic materials such as amber are not minerals but tend to be classed as gemstones too. Gemstones are classified into different groups and varieties and are prized in relation to their beauty, rarity and aesthetics. Many gemstones are also attributed with healing and mystical properties. such as the following:
Amethyst or quartz is seen as the symbol of sincerity, serenity and peace of mind
Lapis Lazuli is associated with friendship and truth and helps to bring harmony in relationships
Malachite is believed to help with relaxation and calm emotions, it is also associated with harmony and warding off illness
Moonstone is thought to bring good fortune and is a prized gift for lovers as it is thought to arouse tender passion
Onyx is believed to have protective energies, can defend against negativity and is believed to help release negative emotions
Turquoise is associated with friendship, love and loyalty. It is believed to aid wholeness and emotional balance, and to strengthen and calm both mind and body
Jute
Jute is made from bast fibre which is a long, soft fibre composed mainly of cellulose. This fibre comes from plants in the genus Corchorus, which are farmed using traditional methods in India and Bangladesh. The fibres are spun into coarse, strong threads. It is very durable, for example, a jute bag has the life span of over 1000 plastic bags. It is non-polluting and is totally biodegradable. It is an extremely useful material in that it is not only renewable and sustainable, but also provides employment and income for 5 million people in India and Bangladesh.
Pandanas
Pandanas leaves come from the pandanus plant known as Pandanus Spiralis, Pandanus Palm and also as Screw Palm; due to it growing in a distinctive screw pattern. It grows in coastal areas of the tropical pacific and varies in size ranging from small shrubs to trees up to 20 metres tall. It produces large seed pods which have some resemblance to pineapples. When they are ripe the seeds can be extracted and ground into flour. The leaves are very fibrous and strong and can be woven into baskets, mats etc. or the fibre strings can be woven into cloth for textiles.
Pandanas is ideal for woven accessories such as bags as it can be dyed and offers a strong, natural and biodegradable alternative to other fibres.
Rattan
Rattan comes from hundreds of species of palms which are grown in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most of them generally differ from other palms in having slender stems and growing like vines rather than trees. In order to use rattan the skin of the stem is peeled away and the solid core is then used. This then makes a useful weaving material as it has the characteristics of being durable and lightweight, and it is also reasonably flexible. Being totally natural it is also biodegradable.
Silk
Silk is made of protein fibre obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of silkworms and was first developed in China as early as 3500BC. The caterpillar of a silk moth can spin 1 mile of filament and becomes completely encased in a cocoon. Most silk production involves the cocoons being dropped into boiling water which kills the silkworm. However, it is possible to obtain silk, such as tassel silk, which is made from cocoons after the moth has emerged. This silk is different in texture as it has been created from shorter strands due to being damaged by the emergence of the moth, however, this silk can be softer and warmer than standard silk.
Silk is perceived to be luxury fabric renowned for its texture, lustre and ability to shimmer (due to its prism structure). Silk is also one of the strongest natural fibres, drapes well and is comfortable to wear in warm weather. It therefore lends itself to many uses ranging from clothing, to bedding and upholstery.
Straw
Straw is the byproduct of the harvesting of cereal plants such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. Roughly half of the yield of a crop will be straw. It may be a byproduct but straw has many uses including bedding for livestock and thatch for roofing. Because it is pliable and durable it also has many decorative uses. In addition, because when it is woven it is very stable and sturdy it is excellent for making baskets and bags etc. Being a totally natural plant fibre it is also totally biodegradable.
