Our customers often ask us to make custom designs if we don't have quite the one they need. We make designs based on a likeness of a photo of their pet cat or dog, we haven't yet had a request for a pet bird yet. At other times, we are asked to do an adaptation of a design that we already have, based on an eagle, wolf, owl or skull motif. That is usually quite easy for the carvers to do. An exact likeness to a pet is more difficult but they manage quite well. The most unusual request we have had was from the US for a snowman motif carved ring. Now a snowman or any snow really is not ever found in Bali so the carvers needed quite a bit of explanation! In the end though the snowman looked great carved in the natural light cream buffalo bone that we use. No, the design did not include a carrot nose!! Let us know if you are looking for something different. If we don't have it, we can probably make it, thanks to our clever carvers and silversmiths. Any ideas?

Once every seven months ( a Balinese year ) the festival of Galungan is celebrated all over Bali. The spirits of ancestors are welcomed back for a visit and decorative penjor (long decorated bamboo poles) line every roadside. It is a time for cooking, for praying at the temple, for family gatherings and for visiting. A joyous time for all. Everyone dresses in their finest and all the small children wear the new clothes that they have been bought for the special days. At the end of ten days, the ancestors return to the heavens and the penjor and other decorations are put away until the next time. For the Jero Gingsir jewelry artisans, this is all part of the rythym of their lives. Before Galungan comes they work hard to fill extra orders so that the funds are there that are needed for the holidays. If they are on a salary, they will receive an extra bonus at this time. Then for a week or so, their attention turns to other things, to their family temples and to their community and little work will be undertaken at this time. After Kuningan (the end of the Galungan period) when the ancestors return to their homes in heaven, the work routine starts again.

In this Blog I want to give you some insights into our jewelry and who we are. This is the day when everyone is sooo busy today getting everything finished before the Galungan holidays which start tomorrow. All of the jewelry orders have to carefully packed up to be sent out in time to catch the last post today. The post office is closed till after Easter. Indonesia celebrates Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and Moslem holidays so that makes quite a lot! But it also reflects the acceptance and respect given to each religion in Indonesia. Because Balinese are mostly Hindu we tend to have more of the Hindu holidays than other parts of Indonesia. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=501214086602607&set=a.499063306817685.1073741826.499031863487496&type=1&theater