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Artisan: Aayenda

Gold plated beads are strewn together and embellished with a delicate round star and lapis center. The Aayenda jewelry line is designed by Afghan students who are trained and mentored in jewelry-making and gem-cutting in India. This first collection was produced in Jaipur.

Afghanistan has a jewelry tradition that goes back more than 2,000 years, most famously exhibited in the Bactrian Gold Collection created around the time of Alexander the Great. It is a rare blend of aesthetic influences (from Persian and Indian to Classical Greek and Roman) and an incredibly high level of craftsmanship. Its jewelry usually features precious and semiprecious stones, including tourmalines, lapis lazuli, rubies, aquamarine and emeralds, which are left mostly uncut to reflect an ancient and rustic Afghan tradition.