Why choose handmade jewelry for special occasions?
"Good things are worth waiting for!"
We usually rush. We run to get somewhere, we run so we don't miss something. We try to be present in the lives of those who matter. In this chase, which repeats itself day after day, we almost mechanically take the usual things off the shelf, the well-known ones, then we stand in line, plastic card, beep, jingling bag and goodbye.
Our everyday choices are often aligned with the fast-paced rhythm of our lives, we adapt to the concentrated supply. Everything in one place, at one time, and often nothing in between.
The world of jewelry is no different. Walking down the street, if we observe the crowds of people flowing together, we can see that the choices are simple . Similar hoop earrings, simple pearl studded jewelry - plastic fast fashion mass products, which are often not a shame if they get worn out or get lost in the dust of the street. There are just the same ones in the store anyway, they can be purchased again during the routine shopping round. Consumption is booming , and people can write a new to-do on the next list. Another snap.
And the soul waits patiently.
"I was there just now, but I have to go again!" "I bought several last time, but now I don't like any od them!" "Why didn't I think things through better?" "Why didn't I spend more time on it?"
I respect the older generation in many ways. I like to watch them, learn from them, absorb everything that I would like to preserve on my own journey. I especially like how the little old people know what it's like to cherish an object - a piece of jewelry - from the heart, to wear it with love. Because they remember when and from whom they received it. Where they were then and what feelings were closely linked to that moment, or what they evoke from them now when they think back to the events of the past. After all, one ring accompanied them throughout their lives. There were no five others besides it. Their appreciation and respect for the objects, jewelry that they hold in their hands, the memories that they keep in their hearts truly comes from deep within them. It's true, in the past there wasn't such a wide selection, there wasn't so much money to accumulate them. But they learned to appreciate and see what they have as valuable . They take care of them, they clean them while sitting in the kitchen, they truly feel that they are their own . It is not by chance that many people say that they should bury me with the necklace I received from Mama around my neck, or that they should let me rest underground with the ring I received from Papa on my finger. Because what is valuable, soul, heart, accompanies and connects me beyond temporal life!
That is exactly why the recognition and revival of traditions is so heartbreakingly beautiful to me! Because they are not simple revelations, aesthetic masterpieces, but they carry heart, soul and stories - they tell stories for all of us. Handcrafted jewelry has two lives. One, which it spends with the creator and another, during which it accompanies the owner - ideally across generations.
Behind every handcrafted piece of jewelry is a creative creator, a person who stands behind the finished piece of jewelry with their name and credibility. There are people to turn to, people to ask questions of, and people to connect with! You know exactly who you are supporting with your choice and what values they represent.
Making handmade jewelry is often a time-consuming process! You have to get to know the wearer's needs and personality, and you have to acquire the quality raw materials for the designed, unique product, the lifespan of which is not just for one season. And this is where the magic begins. Handmade beaded jewelry is strung onto the string, bead by bead. You have to count, change colors, maintain and change shape. There is no machine. Just two hardworking hands, endless patience and even greater thoroughness - and of course, a good pair of glasses.
No two pieces of jewelry are exactly alike! And that's what gives it its charm. The maker spends hours, often weeks, making the necklace and stringing the matching earrings. While thinking about its owner, the life path that the pearl jewelry he has made will take, the occasion for which it is made. Energy flow can create, product making is the creation itself. A kind of connection is formed between the maker and the creator. Because creation - even if we are just talking about jewelry making - is time and waiting, they go hand in hand. And waiting contains excitement, longing, and then the joy of finding each other, fulfillment.
The b&w classic beaded necklace and earrings 
The mellow red beaded earrings and the filigree white beaded earrings 
The folk chic beaded necklace and earrings
Handicraft products represent this solid standard, a kind of certainty that something is unrepeatable, something made with care, crafted with human hands and heart.
One final thought: it is true that in the hustle and bustle of the modern Western world, we have forgotten to wait and yearn, to appreciate the all-changing beauty of uniqueness and imperfection. Yet I believe that the accessibility provided by mass production and Hungarian craftsmanship can coexist side by side, which, if not in a monopolistic way, can make special occasions even more colorful and complete by giving space to our hearts!
I wish we could preserve what is uniquely human and inimitable!
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