Along the lines of the Balanese Shunyata believes that jewels and art in general exhibit a hidden influence or power. The Balinese in a tradition closely linked to that of the ancient sages have realized for millennia that all life and phenomena is energy. This misleadingly simple realization is something that science has only come to understand in the last century.
There is one artisan on the Island of Bali whose work is exemplary of the palace and temple arts that both incorporate an ascetic sense of physical beauty and symbolic integrity. (You may ask what exactly is symbolic integrity),
Shunyata’s work has been featured in several magazines (http://issuu.com/shunyata/docs/zoein_media_book_sm).He has also given lectures and appeared on television shows where he explains his unique approach to design. His jewels have adorned presidents, prime ministers and stars from around the world.
When Ibu Oka the wife of the previous governor of Bali saw his work it reminded her of creations from a bygone era. In todays fast paced space age of consumerism often quality and originality is sacrificed on the alter of profitability. For Shunyata this could not be further from the truth. For example, with his highly skilled team, he has been working on the base and handle of a twelve hundred year old sword for more than two and a half years. A piece that incorporates wood carving with both gold and silver craftmanship. This one piece will take nearly three years to complete.
During the same amount of time another jeweler could make hundreds if not thousands of token pieces. Shunyata does not work in a commercial sense. His work is one of art and quality. He has said that “gold actually reduces the value of my art”.
Along the lines of the Balanese Shunyata believes that jewels and art in general exhibit a hidden influence or power. The Balinese in a tradition closely linked to that of the ancient sages have realized for millennia that all life and phenomena is energy. This misleadingly simple realization is something that science has only come to understand in the last century.
To discover if jewels really have power? We must first ask what is power? Simply speaking power is the ability to exert influence. Just because power can not be seen does not mean that it does not exists. I’m not just speaking of the kind of esoteric or magical power of Balanese ritual. Gravity is invisible yet proven. Radio waves, microwaves, radiation and galactic particle beams are bouncing around and through us all the time yet we don’t see or feel them. As with the influence of all magical arts these phenomena are beyond the scope of our normal senses.
In fact in an interrelated world of energetic movement all things can’t help but to influence and exert power over one another. It would be an exceptional oddity that goes against all knowledge if we were to say that jewels don’t have some type power.
Power can either be positive or negative and when choosing a jewel, a special treasure we want to choose one that has the most positive influence. It isn’t really that difficult to tell what kind of power a piece has. For one thing if a piece of jewelry looks good and as it should enhances your beauty it most often will also enrich other aspects of yourlife.
Here are a few more guidelines to choosing the right jewel. A jewel must first be considered in its entirety. Hold it, try it on and get a feel for it as if it were a musical composition, or a painting. Notice the feeling that it inspires without putting to much weight on any preference.
Once you have a feeling for the piece as a whole then explore its structure and materials. If its a garland then look at the beads and make sure they are natural. Their colors and number patterns, the centerpiece, its style and the manner in which it was constructed are also important. The historical and cultural roots of the piece. The meaning and resonance of each stone. The contemporary implications of the piece. The mythical and religious legends behind its form. The time and manner in which it was crafted are all aspects to consider.
The Balanese do not only wear jewelry to look good they wear it for protection, to enhance their status and confidence or to confer a spiritual gift. The reasons are almost as varied as life its self. Believe it or not this was also true across the ancient world where the way a jewel looked, was considered secondary to it innate significance.
We have probable all heard something about the ancient art of Feng Shui, or Hung Chui. Feng Shui is used to balance and harmonize our homes and environment. Shunyata explains that choosing and wearing the right jewels is a personal form of Feng Shui that balances, harmonies and empowers the human body.
This beautifying harmonization lays at the very root of fashion. Beyond the fickle fluctuation of trends is a essence of style that through clothing and accessories enhances not only how we look but how we feel. For a design to achieve this end it must compliment the curves, shape and proportions that are naturally present in the human body.
Our lives like the world we live in is not one dimensional and Jewels do indeed exert power across several dimensions. Even the material from which a jewel is crafted is imbued with a plethora of physical properties. Some of these properties like color and shape are easily perceived yet intrinsic properties like its symbolic resonance and molecular makeup are far removed from our normal level of perception.
