Celuk
The Balinese are renowned for their artistic and craft skills. One of the most popular areas is silver jewelry and the most famous center of production is Celuk.
Getting to Celuk from Kuta, you take the Bypass to Sanur, head in the direction of Ubud and take the turn off in the direction of Sukawati. About a mile further, you come to the begining of a long strip of silversmith’s shops, which include small independent places, and larger more organized ones.
The journey from Kuta takes about 40 minutes, and Celuk is easy to find. Along the way, if you stop at a traffic light, a friendly local might pull up next to you, and offer to take you to his cousin’s jewelry shop. They are hoping to get you to make a purchase, so they can get a commission.
Celuk, known for its silver and goldsmiths. The skills of the Celuk artisans are well known for their high taste of art and high quality products. A large variety of all types of intricately designed pieces can be found. The silver filigree work is quite amazing.
Original designs in delicate filigree make Balinese jewelry one of the most unusual styles in Asia. Although individual pieces are elaborate, they have simple origins in their making. Artisans use a tree stump with a protruding iron spike as a pounding base, a bamboo stem to catch the filings, and a manually operated gas pump for heat. As with most Balinese crafts, gold and silver work is largely an hereditary trade. Apprentices begin young.
Balinese silversmiths are known worldwide for their intricate designs and meticulous attention to detail. Their skills are passed down from generation to generation. Many fake "Bali beads" are now being produced in other countries (India is the worst offender). These are often cheap imitations that are cast in molds rather than handcrafted as described above. Many Indian-made "Bali beads" are also merely silver plated rather than made of solid silver.
Please help preserve the Balinese culture and its traditions. Buy Bali-made Bali beads!
Getting to Celuk from Kuta, you take the Bypass to Sanur, head in the direction of Ubud and take the turn off in the direction of Sukawati. About a mile further, you come to the begining of a long strip of silversmith’s shops, which include small independent places, and larger more organized ones.
The journey from Kuta takes about 40 minutes, and Celuk is easy to find. Along the way, if you stop at a traffic light, a friendly local might pull up next to you, and offer to take you to his cousin’s jewelry shop. They are hoping to get you to make a purchase, so they can get a commission.
Celuk, known for its silver and goldsmiths. The skills of the Celuk artisans are well known for their high taste of art and high quality products. A large variety of all types of intricately designed pieces can be found. The silver filigree work is quite amazing.
Original designs in delicate filigree make Balinese jewelry one of the most unusual styles in Asia. Although individual pieces are elaborate, they have simple origins in their making. Artisans use a tree stump with a protruding iron spike as a pounding base, a bamboo stem to catch the filings, and a manually operated gas pump for heat. As with most Balinese crafts, gold and silver work is largely an hereditary trade. Apprentices begin young.
Balinese silversmiths are known worldwide for their intricate designs and meticulous attention to detail. Their skills are passed down from generation to generation. Many fake "Bali beads" are now being produced in other countries (India is the worst offender). These are often cheap imitations that are cast in molds rather than handcrafted as described above. Many Indian-made "Bali beads" are also merely silver plated rather than made of solid silver.
Please help preserve the Balinese culture and its traditions. Buy Bali-made Bali beads!
May 18, 2009 at 10:00 PM
I agree that when a culture has a tradition of producing anything of quality then it is worth keeping at any cost. C'mon people whats a little extra cash just to keep a tradition.