Coir Jewelry - Alleppey, Kerala
Coir is one of the natural fibers extracted from the matured coconut husks that are used in producing multiple eco-friendly products. Coir is rough and uneven short fibers that are naturally strong thick commercial fibers. Coir is sorted by two means brown coir and white coir. Brown coir is extracted from the matured coconuts and white coir is from the immature coconuts. These fibers are one of the most durable ones and have a low decomposition rate because of the highest concentrations of lignin thus it is used for many purposes. There are several environmental benefits of coir like eradicating erosion by putting geotextiles blankets on the soil, it is also a good water-absorbent where the moisture is stored and supplied to the plants when necessary, likewise, there are many uses of coir in the horticulture field. Coir is also used for several purposes in making the products like sacking, doormats, brushes, mattresses, rugs, insulation panels and packaging. Nowadays artisans have been experimenting with natural fibres in making products of various kinds and forms. The structure of coir strands has changed from just being in the bundle to a versatile important strand in jewelry.
Coconut is eminently grown in India and it is used productively with all the parts from the coconut water to the husk. Kerala is one of the major production and consumption place for coconut and its by-products like coconut oil, coir, coconut shell and many more. Likewise, it has also played a major role in the craft of coconut coir. Coconut is used extensively in Kerala from its ethos to its dishes. In fact, the name Kerala is derived from the name of the coconut tree in Malayalam. In Kerala, Alleppey (Alappuzha in Malayalam) is one of the main centers for the coir industry where the Indian Coir Board has initiated a National Coir Training and Design Centre (NCTDC) for rural people to involve in the coir crafts in order to sustain in their daily lives. There are many products that they get trained and produce to build small cottage industries. From making a simple mat to making a jewelry a lot of transformation occurs inside the craftsmen. He/she learns many attributes of the coir and application of the material to new products like footwear, a waistcoat, a hat, intricate jewelries and many more.
Artisan Mrs. Mamatha Sunil is one of the trained craftswomen from the National Coir Training and Design Centre who pioneers in making beautiful jewelry out of coir fiber strands. She comes from Orissa and has got trained in coir jewelry making. She says that tourists from other places generally complain that they cannot buy products of coir because it consumes too much space, thus they have come up with such products as jewelries. Dyed coir and many glittering articles are used in beautifying the jewelry more. Usually, these coir strands used for jewelry are from green coconut immature ones. Jewelries like chains, bracelets, bangles, earrings, rings and other items are exclusively developed and trained by rural craftsmen with the help of the German designer Verena Schatzlein.
