Archive for April 3rd, 2006
Perhiasan Bermotif Khas Aceh Terancam Punah
Banda Aceh, (Analisa)
Perhiasan bermotif khas Aceh saat ini sangat langka ditemukan dan suatu saat bisa terancam punah.
Menurut kolektor penyelamat benda antik dan bersejarah Aceh, H Harun Keuchik Leumiek, perhiasan bermotif Aceh yang dihasilkan para perajin Aceh di abad-abad yang lalu, sudah sangat sulit ditemukan sekarang ini.
Hilangnya perhiasan khas Aceh ini, karena perhiasan tersebut tak lagi diproduksi. Hal ini dikarenakan tak ada pewarisan acara membuatnya dari satu generasi ke generasi selanjutnya, sehingga keahlian membuat perhiasan tersebut terputus hanya pada satu generasi saja.
Saat ini, jika ingin melihat keaslian benda-benda perhiasan bermotif Aceh hanya bisa dilihat dalam pajangan saja yang disimpan para kolektor penyelamat benda-benda budaya masa lalu atau dalam pajangan di museum Negeri Aceh.
Karenanya, ujar Harun Keuchik Leumiek yang juga wartawan senior Harian Analisa di Aceh, kiranya perlu perhatian semua pihak untuk bisa melestarikan dan menggali kembali keahlian para perajin tempoe doeloe, jika tidak mau khasanah budaya Aceh ini hilang ditelan waktu.
“Sudah saatnya kita selamatkan dan lestarikan salah satu khasanah buadaya bangsa kita ini,†tegas Harun Keuchik Leumiek dalam sebuah seminar pelatihan pengrajin Aceh di SMIK Ladong, Aceh Besar, Jumat (31/3).
Dikatakan, keberdaan perhiasan Aceh sejak beberapa abad silam, memang telah banyak menarik perhatian dunia luar, terutama para pejabat-pejabat Belanda yang bertugas di Aceh pada masa kolonial dulu.
Mereka (Belanda) selain melaksanakan tugas kolonialnya di Aceh, juga mempelajari seluk beluk benda-benda hasil karya seni masyarakat Aceh, termasuk bentuk-bentuk perhiasan Aceh.
Mereka mendata perhiasan Aceh itu mulai dari cara membuat sampai pengrajinnya atau yang dikenal dalam bahasa Aceh dengan sebutan utoh.
Harun menyadari, bahwa upaya penyelamatan perhiasan bermotif Aceh ini agak sulit dan berat dilakukan di tengah-tengah persaingan produk perhiasan luar yang juga telah merambah hingga ke Aceh saat ini.
Tetapi bukan tidak mungkin, jika usaha kerajinan perhiasan bermotif khas Aceh ini terus dikembangkan yaitu dengan cara mendidik kembali para pengrajin (utoh) untuk mampu membuat kembali perhiasan-perhiasan bermotif Aceh terutama dari kalangan pengusaha atau pemilik toko emas yang ada di Aceh.
Seorang wanita Australia, Barbara Leigh dalam bukunya, menurut Harun, pernah mengungkapkan bentuk perhiasan Aceh terdapat 250 jenis. Semua bentuk dan jenisnya itu tergolong sangat unik dan istimewa serta memiliki nilai seni yang sangat tinggi.
Terpacu dari semangat itu, menurut Harun, selama kurang lebih 20 tahun terakhir ini dirinya berusaha mengumpulkan dan menyelamatkan benda bersejarah Aceh itu, namun hingga saat ini hanya terkumpul sebanyak 30 jenis saja.
“Jika semua orang mau berusaha menyelamatkan dan melestarikan perhiasan Aceh, maka anak cucu kita ke depan masih dapat mengenal khasanah budayanya, kalau tidak maka akan hilang tanpa jejak,†ujar Harun Keuchik Leumiek. (irn)
April 3rd, 2006
Jewelry, toys found hazardous
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, ILÂ
Parents, you might want to take a look at what’s in your child’s jewelry box or toy chest. Consider:
– Some SpongeBob Squarepants fishing poles sold in stores across the country from 2001 to 2005 were discovered to have been coated with lead paint.
– Reebok charm bracelets given to shoe customers contained 67 percent lead by weight.
– Some American Girl earrings, necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories sold from 1999 through February 2006 were found to contain high levels of lead.
Lead jewelry is hazardous to children if they put it in their mouths or swallow it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If ingested, lead is toxic to children.
You’ve probably heard about lead poisoning risks from old paint chips and lead paint dust, but there are also risks associated with children’s toys. In the last two years, the U.S. government, along with dozens of retailers, have recalled millions of pieces of children’s jewelry and toys after they were found with elevated amounts of lead in them.
Although Illinois leads the nation with the highest number of children with elevated blood lead levels, the actual number of children with lead poisoning is declining. About 5 percent of Illinois children tested in 2003 were found with elevated blood lead levels. That’s down from about 20 percent of children tested in 1996.
As blood lead levels decline and more people have become aware of lead paint dangers, ingestion of items containing lead (such as jewelry, candy or folk medicines) has become a more common reason for life-threatening blood lead levels, according to a recent Morbidity and Mortality Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lead occurs naturally in the environment, and it’s used to make a variety of consumer goods, including jewelry. But what’s of interest to the government and consumers is how much lead is in a product and is that lead accessible, meaning, for example, does it flake off? Can it be ingested?
It’s reasonable to assume adults are not going to put jewelry in their mouths, said Julie Vallese, spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency behind all the recalls. But that’s not the case with 2-, 3- or 4-year-olds, she said.
One recent recall was for the silver-colored, heart-shaped Reebok charm bracelets given to customers who purchased some children’s shoes. That recall of 300,000 was prompted by the death in February of a 4-year-old Minnesota boy who swallowed the charm and died of lead poisoning.
“It might be safe to say that we’re now seeing lead in jewelry because we’re testing for lead in jewelry,” Vallese said.
In July 2004 the commission announced a recall of 150 million pieces of metal toy jewelry sold in vending machines across the country. Eight months later the commission announced a new enforcement policy that outlined steps manufacturers, retailers and importers of children’s jewelry should take to reduce the amount of lead in products. It also outlined specific procedures for testing lead in jewelry.
According to the commission’s guidelines, children’s jewelry should not contain more than 600 parts per million of lead, or 0.06 percent by weight. If a piece of jewelry is found to contain 600 ppm of lead after an initial test, the product must be tested again, by an extraction type of test that determines how much lead is leaching out of the product, Vallese said. If the item tests above 175 micrograms, it’s pulled off the market.
The 150 million pieces of recalled toys from vending machines in 2004 originated from India. The majority of children’s products recalled for lead risks in 2005 and 2006 came from China.
A bracelet might be designed by one company, have a charm made by one manufacturer and the cord may come from another. They might not all be made in the same country.
“But in the end there is some kind of company with U.S. ties who needs to make sure the product they bring into the market is safe for U.S. consumers,” Vallese said.
Lead typically is found in three types of children’s jewelry, according to the Oakland, Calif.-based Center for Environmental Health.
The first is in metal charms, the cheap, pewter metal-type of costume jewelry, not sterling silver-type pieces, said Lara Cushing, the center’s research director. Lead is often added to the manufacturing process because it makes the items easier and cheaper to cast, Cushing said.
Lead also can be found in vinyl plastic cords, the kind jelly bracelets are made out of, Cushing said. In those items, lead is often added as a stabilizing agent in the plastic. (Children’s lunch boxes that contain vinyl might contain lead, too.)
Another place lead has been found is in fake pearls that were painted with lead paint. These are usually vintage pearls passed down from parents or grandparents to a child; the pearls are usually found in a child’s dress-up box, Cushing said.
Retailers are required to report any hazards to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission also is alerted to hazardous products from customers and from conducting its own investigations, Vallese said.
In Illinois, retailers are required to post any recall information in their stores and on their Web sites. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently announced she will send investigators around the state to make sure stores no longer are stocking the recalled items and that information about the recall is posted in a prominent location.
April 3rd, 2006
Unique Christian Jewelry Combines Fashion, Faith, and Witnessing
PR Web (press release), WA
A Sterling Performance features Kay Zoretic’s unique faith based jewelry. Witness Bracelets and other pieces of her Quietly Christian line help hesitant Christians practice their witnessing skills.
Bowling Green, KY (PRWEB) May 31, 2006 — More and more people are embracing their Christian faith, but they want to share it rather than shout it. Silversmith, Kay Zoretic has found a way to help them do that. A somewhat shy Christian herself, Zoretic remembered a little bracelet made by children learning about the Christian faith in Vacation Bible School. She recreated the Witness Bracelet, but Instead of the little plastic beads, Zoretic fashioned the bracelet using handmade silver beads from Indonesia and Thailand, along with gemstones in the seven teaching colors
“After people remarked about the bracelet, it was easy to share the steps in my faith and they seemed to appreciate hearing about it. It made witnessing so much easier for me”, Zoretic said. As my friends commented on my bracelet, I repeated similar ones for them â€, she added.
Before long, sales began to snowball and people who saw them on her friends began to call and request them. Soon, people were ordering them from outside the Bowling Green community. The ethnic look of the Witness Bracelets elicits comment and serves as a conversation starter which gives Christians an opportunity to witness. The gemstones also serve as a mnemonic device, helping the wearer remember the steps in the faith.
As new design ideas came forward, the variety grew and so did the clients. A Sterling Performance jewelry design business, complete with a website, came into being. Senator Mitch McConnell took one of the bracelets home to his wife, Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, after a visit to Bowling Green, KY for the dedication of the Mitch McConnell Park. Secretary Chao sent a note to Zoretic, complimenting her on the design.
The faith jewelry pieces have expanded into an entire collection call Quietly Christian. This grouping includes the original Witness Jewelry in both bracelet and necklace form, message pieces which include Zoretic’s hand forged silver bracelets, pendants and necklaces - featuring stamped messages, words of affirmation, favorite scriptures and quotes - and finally, the Fishers of Men pieces. All the Fishers of Men pieces incorporate elements of the sea and are in reference to the words of Christ to Peter and Andrew when He encouraged them to take up their nets and follow Him to become Fishers of Men.
Encouragement Bracelets have also found their way into the collection. These are based on Philippians 4:13 and are created for people who are going through a difficult time. Those began when Zoretic (a cancer survivor, herself) had four friends struggling with chemotherapy. Once again, faith jewelry helped her reach out to others.
A Sterling Performance has begun responding to church group requests and sells wholesale for fund raising purposes. Interested church groups can contact her through her website, by phone or at her email address for further information.
A former teacher, Zoretic serves as Cable in the Classroom Coordinator for her local cable company, Insight Communications. She remains active in her church, playing piano, teaching Sunday school and helping with the youth group. Although she has expanded her company to include secular jewelry, her Quietly Christian collection continues to be the cornerstone of her company.
A wide range of prices for the various pieces is another reason Zoretic’s pieces are popular. Items in her collection range from $16 to $75 and more for more involved pieces. Witness Bracelets for men and women have been shipped to 21 states and have also found a following in Japan. Clients appreciate Zoretic’s personal attention and her willingness to make bracelets for the difficult to fit. A Sterling Performance jewelry is completed as it is ordered and clients are encouraged to participate in the selection of words, phrases and materials for their pieces.
Jewelry from A Sterling Performance can now be seen on Zoretic’s website at http://www.kayzoretic.com and also in the Kentucky Museum - Kentucky Featured Artists Display at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
April 3rd, 2006
Thailand : Tourism Authority supports jewelry sector
April 1, 2006/Fibre2fashion.com, IndiaÂ
Thai ornament and jewelry attract everyone visiting Thailand as it is the major source of revenue for the country.
Looking at strong popularity of jewelry sector, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has started to support this industry.
Country’s jewelries are popular because of its high quality at affordable price.
In the past jewelry and ornament businesses have generated 40 to 50 billion baht and this year they are growing at 20 percent.
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April 3rd, 2006
The hole truth
Kansas City Star, MO
Savannah Leonard was 16 when her best friend got her tongue pierced. Immediately fascinated, she thought, “Hey — I could get a facial piercing that wouldn’t look tacky because I’d just keep my mouth shut!â€
Several years later Leonard still likes the notoriety of looking a bit different. She works at a drugstore, serving an elderly clientele. “I’ll be talking to them, and they’re like, ‘What is that in your mouth!’†If they only knew. “Once I turned 18, I went all out. I’ve got them everywhere now. Piercings are addictive.â€
However, anyone contemplating any piercing beyond the traditional earlobe or two should consider the possible dangers and downsides:
â– Know the risks. Any time the skin is punctured, there is a risk of infection. Contaminated equipment can transfer serious blood-borne diseases, including HIV. Or you may have an allergic reaction to the piercing jewelry metal. A tongue piercing can lead to chipped teeth or gum damage; plus, body piercings invite bacteria that can lead to scarring or deformities.
■Know your piercing studio. Piercing is not something your friends can do for you at a slumber party. Choose a reputable studio that is clean and uses an autoclave (a heat sterilization machine regulated by the Food and Drug Administration) and new, sterile needles. The piercer must wash his or her hands and put on a fresh pair of latex gloves for each procedure. Don’t allow a piercing gun; it can’t be autoclaved and it also crushes your skin during piercing, causing more injury.
■Know the proper follow-up care. With oral piercings (tongue or lip), use an antibacterial, alcohol-free mouth rinse for 30 to 60 seconds after meals while your piercing heals. Also, use a new soft-bristled toothbrush. With skin piercings (nose, ears, eyebrows, navel, wherever), rinse the site in warm water and use a cotton swab to remove any crusting. Apply a dab of liquid medicated cleanser, gently turning the jewelry back and forth to work the cleanser around the opening. Avoid antibiotic ointments, which keep oxygen from reaching the piercing. If you’re not ready to commit to regular and thorough cleaning and care, you’re not ready for this kind of piercing.
â– Know your own mind. “Ask yourself why you want to do this,†Leonard advises. “Is it because half your school has it done, or do you really want a piercing? Do it for yourself, not for other people. Trends can change the next day, and you’re out of luck.â€
Source: .com/ health/tattoos-and-piercings /MC00020
April 3rd, 2006
