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No Longer a Privilege for the Select Few: How Traditional Jewelry Became an Urban Trend
Did you notice how during Nauryz the streets were adorned with women wearing traditional jewelry? Silver caught the sunlight, while syrgha (earrings) and shekelik (temporal hair ornaments) chimed softly in the luxurious hair of Kazakhstani women. Over the last few years, ethnic jewelry has been capturing urban trends—taking over fair pavilions and breaking sales records in jewelry stores. How do these pieces attract buyers, and what deeper meanings do they conceal? Author Dinara Sarbasova explores this phenomenon in her new column for The Voice Media.
An Urban Trend
To immerse myself in Kazakh national jewelry, I headed to the Arbat. Even after the Nauryz holidays had ended, the artisan pavilions still lined the street, and in one of them, I met Guzel.
"— I’ve been crafting ethnic jewelry for twelve years now. It used to be something of a privilege for the select few: people bought them only for weddings, special occasions, or if someone strictly wore a national style of clothing. But over the last three years, I’ve noticed how young people across the board are gravitating toward ethnic pieces—even high school students are showing genuine interest in traditional jewelry. Seeing this makes me deeply happy."
"— I’ve been crafting ethnic jewelry for twelve years now. It used to be something of a privilege for the select few: people bought them only for weddings, special occasions, or if someone strictly wore a national style of clothing. But over the last three years, I’ve noticed how young people across the board are gravitating toward ethnic pieces—even high school students are showing genuine interest in traditional jewelry. Seeing this makes me deeply happy."
It is hard to miss young Kazakhstani people's love for national jewelry: girls wear silver earrings and rings with distinctive traditional patterns through both winter and summer, seamlessly weaving them into their urban outfits. Interest from shoppers is ceaseless—while I was speaking with Guzel, young women kept coming up to the pavilion to purchase jewelry.
Beibitkul also told me about the surging popularity of national jewelry. She has been crafting jewelry since 2003 and has been showcasing her pieces at urban fairs for eighteen years.
"— Ethnic jewelry has become trendy now—girls wear them every single day. And regardless of age or nationality, everyone wears them. Most of my customers are young people and visitors from other countries."
Beibitkul was not exaggerating: our conversation was interrupted by a foreigner drawn to the hair ornaments. Dealing with international buyers is nothing new to her: as soon as he asked about the price, she reached for her phone and guided the customer. Kazakh ethnic jewelry frequently becomes a keepsake that foreign guests take back home—these ornaments offer a particularly vivid glimpse into the Kazakh cultural code.
"— Ethnic jewelry has become trendy now—girls wear them every single day. And regardless of age or nationality, everyone wears them. Most of my customers are young people and visitors from other countries."
Beibitkul was not exaggerating: our conversation was interrupted by a foreigner drawn to the hair ornaments. Dealing with international buyers is nothing new to her: as soon as he asked about the price, she reached for her phone and guided the customer. Kazakh ethnic jewelry frequently becomes a keepsake that foreign guests take back home—these ornaments offer a particularly vivid glimpse into the Kazakh cultural code.
Cultural Code
Ethnic jewelry traces its origins back to the Bronze Age. The alloy of copper and tin enabled craftsmen across the Kazakh steppe to create works of art: tableware, everyday household items, and personal ornaments. The Kazakhs infused this traditional craft with deep symbolic meaning, rooted in ancient belief systems and a sacred reverence for nature.
Ethnic jewelry traces its origins back to the Bronze Age. The alloy of copper and tin enabled craftsmen across the Kazakh steppe to create works of art: tableware, everyday household items, and personal ornaments. The Kazakhs infused this traditional craft with deep symbolic meaning, rooted in ancient belief systems and a sacred reverence for nature.
For Kazakh women, hair was considered particularly vulnerable, so it was protected with jewelry to ward off evil spirits—for instance, the chiming of shashbau (braid ribbons made from a series of silver plates) scared away demons and safeguarded a young woman's soul. National earrings, syrgha, were an essential piece in every Kazakh woman's attire. They protected young women both through their melodic ringing and through the intricate patterns etched into their metal plates. Guzel explained the significance of these patterns to me:
"— There are countless ornaments. When crafting pieces, simpler designs are naturally favored, such as the tulip. It features the tört ata ('four grandfathers') pattern, which symbolizes the convergence of the four cardinal directions. Dreams, desires, prosperity, youth, the dawn of all beginnings—everything good is embodied in the tulip motif."
"— There are countless ornaments. When crafting pieces, simpler designs are naturally favored, such as the tulip. It features the tört ata ('four grandfathers') pattern, which symbolizes the convergence of the four cardinal directions. Dreams, desires, prosperity, youth, the dawn of all beginnings—everything good is embodied in the tulip motif."
A Modern Interpretation
Today, national jewelry has reached such a level of popularity that it offers immense creative freedom to both artisans and retailers. At the same time, the defining traits of these pieces—their traditional forms, intricate patterns, and silver tones—remain firmly intact. Beibitkul shared with me that she designs many of her creations herself, driven by a desire to stand out, and proudly showed me her original hair ornaments.
— Я с ноября готовилась к этой ярмарке [приуроченной к Наурызу]. Она была десятидневной, и вот: последние украшения остались. А до этого могла все прям на несколько столов разложить. Интерес к этническим украшениям растет, это радует.
The scale of love for national jewelry is truly striking: nearly half of the urban fair's pavilions were filled with tables displaying dozens of silver ornaments. Some artisans were crafting new items right behind their tables, while others hired dedicated sales assistants to manage their counters.
Ethnic jewelry and other traditional crafts are bringing Kazakhstanis closer to realizing and embracing their culture. Kazakh national culture now brightens city streets not only during Nauryz, but on ordinary weekends as well: folk art fairs take over pedestrian avenues and attract steady crowds of shoppers. Artisans preserve the knowledge behind these cultural symbols while helping weave them into modern outfits—making national jewelry simply impossible to look away from.