Tibetan Ornaments: Mystical Jewelry of Tibet
5th Jun 2017
Tibetan ornaments are attractive with its complex patterns and special designs. Looking at Tibetan ornaments is like traveling back in time. The art itself has such a dreamlike effect. Tibetan ornaments seem to come with a little bit of the mysticism. Many of the Tibetan ornaments are worn for certain reasons and are believed to have the ability to bring the wearer good luck and success.
Material
The materials convey special meaning. Tibetan people prefer to choose materials which represent lucks to make Tibetan ornaments.
Bone
In the view of Tibetan, yak is a holy animal which may carry good luck to their daily life. So the bone of yak is taken as the unique accessories. Tibetan people think they can get rid of misfortunes when carries this kind of ornaments.
Turquoise
Turquoise is one of the world’s earliest-used gem materials. It has been revered for thousands of years. The turquoise used in these ornaments can be of various types too. Tibetan people think turquoise will bring success and good luck when carries it with blue diamond. It is also the symbol of richness and health when wearing it alone.
Organic gems
Red coral and amber, pearls are called organic gems. They represent people’s high social status and may bring good luck and health to the wearer.
Coral is known to be used as a gem since prehistoric times. It is one of the seven treasures in Buddhist scriptures. Coral was thought to be a strong talisman against bleeding, evil spirits, and hurricanes. Its color ranges from white to red.
Amber is fossilized pine tree resin, maple tree resin and other trees’ resin, which is ancient and valuable, like an antique from history. Although amber’s use in adornment is probably as old as mankind itself, in recent times it has had a limited market. Mila, one kind of Amber, was discovered in only in Tibet China currently. The Mila is the most precious amber, which has a long history of more than 100,000,000 years. Nowadays, there is little resource for Mila mine. And most of the Mila ambers are collected by the Buddhist.
Himalayan Beads
In Tibetan language, the bead is called DZI which means happiness, power and wealth.
Pattern
The designs of Tibetan ornaments mostly derive from religious beliefs and the lifestyle of Tibetan people. Each pattern or color of the ornament carries a special meaning. For example, many of the Tibetan silver bracelets are carved with the six-syllable mantra (“Om Mani Padme Hum”), which in Tibetan Buddhism is believed to have the ability to eliminate disease, prolong life and increase wealth. Some pendants are in the design of Vajra, which in Buddhism is a ritual instrument for subduing demons, believed to dispel all sins and bring people power, courage, and intelligence. Amulets are often silver or bronze small boxes inlaid with pearls or precious stones and are used to contain clay or metal images of Buddha, Tibetan pills, Buddhist paintings or photos of a living Buddha. Another example is Tibetan opals, which fall into 12 categories according to the number of cat’s-eyes one contains, each representing a particular meaning. For example, a one-eye opal represents brightness and wisdom, and a two-eye opal represents harmonious marital relationship and happy family life.
by Xiao Xiao xiaoxiao@interactchina.com
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