Adorn yourself with clay

Jewellery made of clay is the newest thing in town.

KARACHI:

Marilyn Monroe wisely said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, yet all types of jewellery — antique, costume, gold or silver — appeal to women from all walks of life.

For 25-year-old Saman Zaidi, fascination with jewellery started since a very young age. Whilst in school, she used to create jewellery using plastic beads with her friends. However, with the advancement of technology and access to the internet, she realised that she could do a lot more to exploit her talent and so she experimented with clay. Hence came the birth of her clay jewellery, by the name of Argile Handmade Clay Jewellery (argile is French for clay).

Zaidi, a marketing graduate from the Institute of Business Management, sheds light on her venture, “While browsing the internet one day, I came across the concept of clay jewellery, but searching for clay in Pakistan was a daunting task. So, I requested a friend from the US to provide me with the best quality of clay bricks from there and hence I started off my business of making clay jewellery.” Thus with merely a few colourful bricks of clay, Zaidi started to create a varied range of jewellery pieces from earrings to pendants and long necklaces.

Even though clay is easily available in Pakistan, it seems quite strange that Zaidi purchases clay from the US. However Zaidi has an explanation for this. “No, clay required for professional jewellery making is difficult to find in Pakistan. Its texture is different and it doesn’t mould easily,” explains the jewellery designer.

“Moulding clay is purely a hand-made process and thus it is difficult to first blend two different colours of clay together, piece it up into one. Clay from the US comes in different colours and textures and one only needs to give it a finish to create the final product.”

Zaidi also emphasises that her clay ornaments are eco-friendly. “The product I use in my creations is very eco-friendly. It is non-toxic and doesn’t get your hands dirty.” The ornament designer admits that her creative impulses fluctuate; in a day she can make as many as 15 to 20 pairs of earrings but there are also days when she can hardly make anything innovative.

The young designer also explains the uncertainty involved in the creative process. “As these clay pieces are hand-made, they are not exactly what I hope for them to turn out, but there is surely never a repetitive design amongst my pieces!”

Zaidi, whose passion for clay adornments led her to splurge all her pocket money as a student on creating clay ornaments, has finally achieved recognition for her work. She exhibited her creations in Park Towers and Forum mall last year and has also provided her products to international buyers from the UK and Kuwait.

The passionate jewellery creator says that, she draws inspirations from the different colour combinations and pattern schemes of lawn prints.

Currently, her collection is showcased at a shop called Bling at Park Towers mall in Karachi. In the near future, this young entrepreneur plans to hold an exhibition in one of Karachi’s shopping malls this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2011.