Jewelry of Nepal

In many parts of Asia, folk jewellery has disappeared in the wake of modernism. In Nepal, however, where the formidable Himalayas have formed a barrier to outsiders and their influences, native jewellery traditions remain alive and strong. Jewellery in Nepal is worn for decorative, talismanic and investment purposes. Gold jewellery is abundant and its many forms are expressed in unusual sizes: silver, readily available in coin form, is freely used - as are beads of glass, coral, turquoise, amber and agate. In over a dozen trips to Nepal's most inaccessible areas, goldsmith and jewellery designer Hannelore Gabriel has documented the local jewellery worn for both daily and ceremonial decoration.