Dear Etsy Friends:
I came to Indonesia as a young woman in my 20s.
it was 1970 and the beginning of a trail of young travelers.
We were so curious about the world. And I think the world was kinder then.
I was so attracted to the culture and arts of Indonesia that it was impossible to leave.
I had worked in the jewelry business in San Francisco, but here it was all hand work.
The original thing!
I stayed on the island of Bali in a neighborhood full of gold smiths.
I began to design a piece or two and found so much enjoyment in the design and the
relationship with the gold smiths. Learning about traditional designs was a cultural experience.
These 44 years I have collected tribal jewelry from other islands in the Indonesian archipelago. Sumatra, Java, Sumba, and Flores. Occasionally a piece from far off Tannimbar in the Molucca islands. Tribal beads from Borneo and Java became a passion. Many beads came by sea from Europe often via Africa. I designed new things often with old beads, but I began to appreciate the varied cultures of the Indonesian Islands through their design of body adornment.
I call my shop Hati Ku or "My Heart". I have gathered several collections under this
umbrella=Hati Ku. First I will show my designs in 18 and 22Kt Gold. Necklaces I put together using trade beads and other things. Tribal necklaces mostly from Borneo. Unchanged from their original state. Also BEADS. Just beads.
Some of these things will take time to organize and get onto Etsy.
There will be more to come......
Sincerely Yours, Jean Lane Murniati