Golden heart-shaped links embrace hand-wrapped Kantha beads in deep indigo hues, creating a delicate chain of love and artistry. A clustered pendant of sodalite and textile beads finishes this Fairtrade piece with serene, soulful energy.
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Design: Brass heart-shaped links with indigo Kantha beads and sodalite gemstone cluster.
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Material: Recycled textile-wrapped wood beads, sodalite gemstones, lead- & nickel-free alloy.
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Size: 21.5" with a 3" extender; drop length approx. 3".
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Country of origin: India.
Handmade Disclaimer:
Handcrafted using repurposed fabrics and natural stones—color, texture, and bead placement will vary beautifully.
design: A cascading chain of open heart-shaped brass links, each cradling a small fabric-wrapped bead, descends to a clustered pendant of sodalite and textile beads in deep indigo.
size: 21.5" chain with a 3" extender; pendant drop approximately 3".
material: Recycled textile-wrapped wood beads, sodalite gemstone, lead- and nickel-free alloy.
features: Heart-link chain, hand-wrapped Kantha fabric beads, sodalite gemstone cluster, lobster clasp with 3" extender for adjustable length
care: Keep away from water, perfume, and lotion, and store flat or hanging to protect the fabric-wrapped beads from crushing.
disclaimer: Handcrafted using repurposed fabrics and natural stone, so color, texture, and bead placement will vary piece to piece.
The Story
The small round beads strung through this necklace are wound from Kantha cloth — layers of recycled cotton sari fabric bound tightly around a wood core until they take on the soft, mottled texture visible here in indigo. Kantha itself began in Bengal, in eastern India and neighboring Bangladesh, as a running-stitch technique for layering worn saris and dhotis into quilts and wraps, a practical way of giving old cloth a second life. Making jewelry beads from that same fabric carries the tradition's core habit forward: nothing goes to waste, and the fabric's history — its dye, its weave, its wear — stays visible in the finished piece.
The heart-shaped brass links that carry the beads are a simple, unadorned repeating form rather than a symbol drawn from any specific regional motif, letting the fabric and stone stay the visual focus. Paired with sodalite, a deep-blue mineral often flecked with white, the palette reads as a study in indigo — the color most associated with the region's dyeing traditions, translated here into cloth, bead, and stone together.
Making a piece like this starts with sorting scraps of recycled sari cotton by color, then winding and binding strips of the fabric tightly around a small wood bead until the surface is fully covered and firm to the touch — a repetitive, hand-fed process with no two beads landing exactly alike. Those fabric beads are then set alongside cut and polished sodalite, and an artisan builds out the heart-link chain link by link, threading a bead into each open link before closing it, then gathering the pendant cluster by hand-linking a dozen or more beads into its dense, rounded shape.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: India
- Craft Tradition: Kantha textile beadwork
- Ideal For: Someone who wants a statement necklace with texture and color, not just polished metal
- Wear It With: Wear with a plain crewneck or button-down in cream or chambray to let the indigo cluster stand out
- Purpose: Everyday wear, layering, gifting, statement dressing
- Gemstone: Sodalite
- Metal: Brass alloy, lead- and nickel-free
Sodalite is a deep-blue mineral, often threaded with white or gray veining, first named in the early 1800s and long favored by lapidaries and jewelers for its rich, consistent color — a natural counterpart to the indigo dye traditions of the fabric it's paired with here. Because it forms in mineral-rich deposits with visible veining, no two cut stones read exactly the same, which is part of why it's a natural match for the one-of-a-kind fabric beads beside it.
Questions & Answers
What are the dark blue beads made from?
They're Kantha beads — small wood cores hand-wrapped in recycled cotton sari fabric in deep indigo tones, so each one has its own texture and slight color variation.
Will my necklace look exactly like the photo?
Not exactly. Because the fabric beads are hand-wrapped from repurposed cloth and the sodalite is a natural stone, color, texture, and bead placement vary slightly from piece to piece.
How long is the necklace and is it adjustable?
It measures 21.5 inches with a 3-inch extender chain, so you can wear it higher on the collarbone or slightly longer, with the pendant dropping about 3 inches.
Is this necklace safe for sensitive skin?
Yes, the metal components are a lead- and nickel-free alloy, making it a suitable choice for those with metal sensitivities.
How should I store and care for it?
Keep it away from water, perfume, and lotion, and store it flat or hanging so the fabric-wrapped beads don't get crushed against other jewelry.
