Rare and Antique Tribal Silver Jewelry from India   
Shakti Imports is one of the most direct sources for Rajasthani (Indian), jewelry.   Colleena hand picks each piece in Rajasthan with regard of the history and the lives that illuminate it.

Latest News:
We are no longer selling import items online. 

You can find me at various festivals and private events with my collection of antique jewelry.  This season of selling (May- August) you will see a huge new stock of treasures, including tribal earrings, bracelets, cuffs, facial ornaments, nose rings, necklaces, earplugs, ankle bracelets, rings, etc. ranging from typical silver jewelry presently worn by Rajasthani ‘Gypsies’, to extremely rare and old pieces from rural Gujarat. I have been taking a lot of time to travel into small villages around North India to discover silversmiths who have not lost traditional styles and techniques!

The first showing each year of my newest collection, is usually at Tribal Fest in Sebastapol, CA in May. Come and find our booth on the front lawn to get first pick of these amazing treasures. Some items will be on display, while the more rare pieces will be available to view by private appointment.

Please contact us by email if you would like to schedule a viewing of our private collection.

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I collect unique and detailed pieces of jewelry through out my time in India and travels around the world.  It is from my love of Indian craftwork that I found myself traveling rural parts of Northern India to find specific types of jewelry traditions.

Most of the jewelry is collected in Rajasthan, though many of the antique earrings come from the Indian state of Gujarat as well. All of the ‘antique’ pieces have been warn for many years by tribal women through their nomadic migrations, seasons working in fields, doing road construction, nursing children, cooking chipatis and all the daily activities of rural India. It is the secret history and soft wearing away of the metal that makes each piece completely one of a kind. What is happening today as India moves into a modern era, tribal women are bringing silver smiths their antique jewelry to be melted down and made into modern designs, abandoning the traditional style. I hand pick everything based on the little intimate details that make each piece magical, and bring a small number back each year. I do not wish to clean India out of its historical jewelry, simply connect a few special pieces with people who appreciate the old techniques and styles of India’s rural artist.

Keep in mind silver prices are based on a few things: weight and percentage of silver, work, age and rarity.

Some of Our Jewelry

	Maha Gujarati Earplugs - Item #3100		Bobbin Disc Plugs: red stone in center - Item #3101A
	Size: 30mm or 1 inch		Tribal silver from Rajasthan. The back screws off to make it easier to get on your ear. The disc or designed surface of the earring is larger than the actual piece that fits in your piercing. Light weight and comfortable.
	This is a remarkable pair of earplugs from North India. Tribal silver. Antique (estimated over 50 years). They are hollow in the middle making them a nice, wearable weight.

	Bobbin Disc Plugs: flower in center - Item #3101B		Bobbin Disc Plugs: circle design - Item #3101C
	Tribal silver from Rajasthan. The back screws off to make it easier to get on your ear. The disc or designed surface of the earring is larger than the actual piece that fits in your piercing. Light weight and comfortable.		Tribal silver from Rajasthan. The back screws off to make it easier to get on your ear. The disc or designed surface of the earring is larger than the actual piece that fits in your piercing. Light weight and comfortable.

	Maha Gujarati Florals - Item #3102		Thin Gujarati Discs - Item #3103
	Size: 6mm or 0 gauge		Size:  3mm or 4 gauge
	Rare and in amazing condition. These are full of detail and textures. The long arm that comes from the earring attaches a string that wraps over the ear, supporting the weight of the piece and keeping it in place.		These beautiful ear discs have a backing that screws in. They are discounted because of a slightly imperfect threading in the post.

	Gujarati Top Plugs - Item #3104		Tribal O Plug - Item #3105
	Size: 4mm or 2 gauge		Size:  8mm or 7/8 inch post size
	Beautiful plugs of tribal silver.		Beautiful and hardcore! Tribal silver. You may need a little bigger ear hole than the post gauge to slide them in your ears. Check out the picture of the backside.

	Button Spike Plug - Item #3106		Nagla - Item #3107
	Size: 13mm or 5/8 inch		Size:  4mm or 6 gauge
	Beautiful and hardcore! Tribal silver.		These beautiful tribal silver earrings are traditional earrings of agricultural castes in Rajasthan, India. The little cones are often stuffed full of cotton dipped in rose oil.

	Silver Plugs, Plain - Item #3108		Little Spike Plugs - Item #3109
	Size: 11mm or 9/16 inch		Size:  4mm or 2 gauge

	Wire wrapped hoop with droplet - Item #3110		Flower hoops with flower plug attached - Item #3111
	Size: 14 gauge		Size:  4mm or 2 gauge
	Wire wrapped design on hoop earrings. Tribal silver, from Rajasthan.		An interesting pair of antique earrings. The previous owner of these traditional Rajasthan flower hoop earrings, put them through a pair of flower plugs. This makes the hoops dangle beautifully. Look at the detail in these earrings! Discounted due to some damaged parts on the post.

	Rajasthani Dangle Bell - 2 triangle - Item #3112A		Rajasthani Dangle Bell - 1 triangle - Item #3112B

	Rajasthani Dangle Bell - short full bell- Item #3112C		Gold Flower Hoops - Item #3113
			These antique Rajasthani hoop earrings have gold plating on the center flower and very fine detailing. In perfect condition. Light and comfortable to wear.

	Star Dangle Earrings - Item #3114		Small Ball Cage Earrings - Item #3115A
	Delicate traditional earrings from Rajasthan.		These antique tribal earrings are quite old. Small size is between 1.5 inches and 2.5 inches in length. Beautiful and detailed.

	Large Ball Cage Earrings - Item #3115B		Long Ball Earrings - Item #3116
	The larger size of this style are approximately 2 inches in length, heavier and thicker hoop on top.		Tribal or rural style.

	Large Leaf Earrings - Item #3117		Rajasthani ‘Gypsy’ Earrings - Spike Jumke - Item #3118A
			Size: 6 gauge
			These are the beautiful earrings that are worn by the Khalbelia‘Gypsies’ and other tribal or ‘Gypsy’ (i.e. nomadic) groups in Rajasthan. The long decorative string of silver comes up and attaches to the hair by a small clip. It holds the weight of the ornate earring. I had the posts redone so they would fit smaller gauge piercings and a wider variety of sizes. The backing has a wide disc and screws into the post so they are easier to get on and off. This is a gorgeous traditional style which is rare and hard to find.

	Rajasthani ‘Gypsy’ Earrings - Flat Jumke - Item #3118B		Rajasthani ‘Gypsy’ Earrings - Carved Jumke - Item #3118C
	Size: 6 gauge		Size: 6 gauge
	These are the beautiful earrings that are worn by the Khalbelia‘Gypsies’ and other tribal or ‘Gypsy’ (i.e. nomadic) groups in Rajasthan. The long decorative string of silver comes up and attaches to the hair by a small clip. It holds the weight of the ornate earring. I had the posts redone so they would fit smaller gauge piercings and a wider variety of sizes. The backing has a wide disc and screws into the post so they are easier to get on and off. This is a gorgeous traditional style which is rare and hard to find.		This pair has detailed and carvings in the silver. These are the beautiful earrings that are worn by the Khalbelia‘Gypsies’ and other tribal or ‘Gypsy’ (i.e. nomadic) groups in Rajasthan. The long decorative string of silver comes up and attaches to the hair by a small clip. It holds the weight of the ornate earring. I had the posts redone so they would fit smaller gauge piercings and a wider variety of sizes. The backing has a wide disc and screws into the post so they are easier to get on and off. This is a gorgeous traditional style which is rare and hard to find.

	Rajasthani ‘Gypsy’ Earrings - Bell Jumke - Item #3118D		Maha Banjara headpiece (earrings and forehead ornament) Item - #3119
	Size: 6 gauge		Size: 6mm or 00 gauge
	These are the beautiful earrings that are worn by the Khalbelia‘Gypsies’ and other tribal or ‘Gypsy’ (i.e. nomadic) groups in Rajasthan. The long decorative string of silver comes up and attaches to the hair by a small clip. It holds the weight of the ornate earring. I had the posts redone so they would fit smaller gauge piercings and a wider variety of sizes. The backing has a wide disc and screws into the post so they are easier to get on and off. This is a gorgeous traditional style which is rare and hard to find.		This is a phenomenal tribal silver headpiece dates back nearly 80 years. Banjara, nomadic tribal people of Western India, wore these ornaments. The pieces that drape over the forehead and face hook into the hair at the top and attaches to the ears with 00 gauge plugs. In excellent condition, there is so much detail in every little hand made piece. Extremely rare.

	Maha Rajasthani Cuff Set - Item #3048		Rajasthani Cuffs - Item #3047
	This is a serious set of tribal Rajasthani arm cuffs! A matching set with beautiful carvings, raised designs and just the right amount of use to add a soft edge to the work. Heavy and strong, but not too heavy. Made of ‘tribal silver’. Wrist size is about Medium, or one size fits all.		Sold as a single cuff. The one in this photo with the spikes is SOLD. A lighter bracelet than most cuffs worn by tribal women in Rajasthan. Delicate detail and antique style.

	Upper Arm Bracelets with Dangle or “Bowju Bun Kool Kool Jai” - Item #3050		Large Spiked Tribal Bangle - Item #3120
	These upper arm bracelets are extremely rare. In excellent condition considering they are estimated at being over 40 years old and worn by a tribal woman of Rajasthan. The bracelets slide over the elbow, synching the string to keep them in place. The bell like tassel dangles down from the elbow. Extremely detailed and ornate. Matching set.		High quantity of silver and very fine details, this bracelet is stunning. A great example of India’s classic and tribal styles fused into one piece.

	Peacock Pendants - Item #3122 Beautiful antique pendants carved with peacocks.		Moroccan Berber Bracelets -  High Atlas Berber Bracelet - Item #3121A Tuareg Berber Bracelet - Item #3121B
			The dotted plain one in the picture is the Tuareg Berber bracelet from the Sahara desert in the south of Morocco while the one with the yellow and green enameled one is from the High Atlas mountains. I picked these up on a recent and unexpected trip to Morocco. These both could fit a medium to large size wrist.

	Devotional Pendants – Item #3096
	These are magical amulets of protection. Often they are a picture of a folk god or local deity such as Baba Ram Dev (Folk god for the tribal and lower caste Rajasthani people). They are given to children (usually Durga pendants) to protect them from harm. Most pendants are not much bigger than a thumb nail so they may always be warn. Each piece is hand stamped and antique.

These items are just a glimpse of our amazing collection. We sell these pieces vending at trade shows and festivals, by private appointment and at trunk shows.

To schedule an appointment or showing, please email: colleenashakti@yahoo.com