At Global Village's Czech pavilion, Jyoti Kalsi finds a way to sparkle with a difference
The Czech Republic is well known for its crystal and indeed the Czech pavilion at the Global Village is glittering with chandeliers, jewellery and decorative items made from the finest Czech crystal.
But adding a special sparkle this year is some interesting glass jewellery. The exclusive range, from the designer label Opal, includes delicate earrings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants in many different colours.
Traditional motifs
Many of the designs are inspired by nature, with beautiful glass replicas of mountain flowers strung together on leather or silk strings.
But there are also earrings and pendants on velvet bands in interesting geometric shapes and some heavier glass and metal creations inspired by traditional Arabic and Indian jewellery. In some pieces the glass is clear and transparent, while in others it is speckled with gold or silver.
The flowers, hearts and geometric shapes look trendy and chic, but the real beauty of this special Czech art can be seen in the strings of traditional beads, painted with delicate flowers and other traditional motifs.
"Every single piece of jewellery in this collection is a one-of-a-kind. Even the beads in the one-metre-long traditional chains are different from each other, because they are all handmade," said Olivia Halouzkova, who has brought this unique designer collection to the Global Village.
Olivia explained that the glass beads are made by a very special technique by skilled craftspeople.
"There is no gold or silver in the jewellery. The craftsmen mix various metals in different proportions to create a range of colours and different metallic sheens. Each bead is painted by hand using tiny needles and special miniature tools," she said.
The jewellery is priced between Dh60 for smaller pieces to Dh500 for the metre-long traditional chains which hold over 50 handmade glass beads.
