Tibetan jewelry is a living history of colors.
It is a living epic written with minerals and faith, where every hue crystallizes the wind and snow of the plateau, the warmth of belief, and the memory of a people.
The blue of turquoise draws clarity from the waters of Lake Namtso, symbolizing eternity and purity; the deep red of coral, like the sunset over the Gangdise Mountains, metaphorically embodies the fervor of life and the compassion of Buddhist teachings; the profound blue of lapis lazuli evokes the starlit night sky over the Potala Palace, carrying the pursuit of wisdom; while the golden warmth of amber resembles the lingering glow of a hearth.
At a market in Shigatse, I met an elderly woman wearing three long strands of turquoise beads, accented with several deep red coral pieces. She told me it was part of the dowry passed down from her mother’s generation. Every festival, when she dances the Guozhuang dance, she wears it with pride.
The colors in Tibetan jewelry are never random. They follow symbolic meanings rooted in tradition—turquoise represents health and longevity, coral signifies life and good fortune, and lapis lazuli conveys wisdom and truth. These colors are not only captivating in their beauty but also endow the wearer with a subtle yet steadfast sense of strength.