Bali sterling silver jewelry

Bali is a small island in Indonesia, made up of primarily Hindu people. The blending of the arts, culture and religion in Bali has given rise to a rich and prominent arts and craft industry. With the end of Java's Majapahit Empire, which began colonizing Bali in the 14th century, the island saw a huge influx of Javanese nobleman and craftsman and became a main center of precious metal craft. Bali silversmiths are concentrated in and around the village of Celuk in the south central part of the island. The gold and silver jewelry trade has permeated the people of Celuk so thoroughly that every home in the village has a small silver and gold production studio according to Indo. Balinese silversmiths apply small sterling silver dots and wires that are bent into different shapes to a large base in a geometrical shape, such as an oval, square or rectangle. “Bali-style” beads and jewelry made in Indonesia, Turkey and other countries can be found that copy Balinese designs, according to The Sterling Silver Guide. Indian Bali-style jewelry often uses casting, leading to poorly articulated beads, and may not be made of sterling silver. Kamasan remains the center for traditional gold and silver jewelry, according to Marimari. The village of Kamasan in the Klungkung formerly comprised artisans who produced crowns, body jewelry and ornaments for the royal family. The tribal jewelry of Kamasan continues a tradition that is several thousand years old.

 

As others have said it is any sterling silver item handcrafted in Bali, Indonesia that is still hallmarked .925 or sometimes.950 silver. I adore real sterling silver jewelry and a large part of my collection is from Bali. Watch out for "bali-style" jewelry as that is usually not handcrafted in Bali, it is just someone copying their traditional style and they have tried to make a cast to form the many dots or intricate workings of true bali design and it rarely looks as good. A bali chain, specifically a byzantine chain, is gorgeous. Bali silver is often listed under handcrafted or artisan jewelry categories. Just be sure to ask the seller if the item is hallmarked (meaning stamped) .925. Due to the handcrafting skill required it is often higher in prices especially w/ the recent drastic increase in silver prices.