10 Things You Didn't Know About Buddha to Buddha!

Date: 07-12-2022
Estimated reading time: 5-7min

For this fun fact, we dive all the way back in time to Southeast Asia in 1997. This is where our roots lie! Our very first link, the Batul, was originally drawn by our founder Batul Loomans himself. Batul was on a meditation trip in Southeast Asia where he wanted to experience the deeper meaning of life. Once there, he started to draw. He sketched a bracelet with interlocking links, symbolizing the connection between two beings. The bracelet had to be heavy, to keep him grounded in this life. Together with a local silversmith, he brought the sketch to life: the brand and the first bracelet were born.

Did you know that all our collections are not just given any name, but are named after real people? For example, the Nathalie collection! Nathalie is one of our designers based in Amsterdam. She is truly her own muse. Passion is what drives her. When you wear a piece of jewellery from the Nathalie family, whether on your wrist, in your ear or on your finger, you radiate one message: be fearless in pursuing what sets your soul on fire. Or, for example, the Komang family! The collection embodies the spirit of true craftsmanship. Komang is one of our highly regarded Balinese leather jewellery makers. Komang is a true wizard at weaving leather and he is the inspiration behind this powerful jewellery collection with a craftsman spirit. The black leather bracelet features beautiful symmetrical details and a silver clasp. Moreover, Komang himself has also designed a new variant of the Buddha to Buddha leather bracelet called Mangky. The Mangky family is named after his nickname in Bali.

Each new piece of jewellery is like a beautiful flower, developing slowly but surely as time passes. Each new Buddha to Buddha artwork is the result of a seed of a new idea that starts growing in the minds of our talented and creative designers in Amsterdam. This seed will grow bigger and bigger once the designer starts to work out the first sketches and computer drawings. Next, the idea is discussed with other creative minds in the design studio in Amsterdam, until eventually, a new design comes to life.

As the seed germinates into a budding flower, a specialist determines if the piece can be made and which steps are necessary for the process. The design is then sent to Bali, where lots of local artisans work to create Buddha to Buddha jewellery. Silver craft is a long-established tradition on the island and it’s truly amazing to witness the patience and precision with which every piece is hand-crafted. For the intricate designs, separate moulds are made. Each line is lovingly drawn and scratched out by hand. With the so-called lost wax casting method, hot liquid silver is then poured into the moulds. After cooling off, the different components of the jewellery, like the petals of a flower, are buffed and polished. And finally, the pieces are linked together and the shining piece of jewellery unfolds like a glorious flower. So when you look at your Buddha to Buddha ring, bracelet or necklace, remember how much love and dedication has gone into the making of it, and you will appreciate and cherish it even more!

Many people see Buddha to Buddha as exclusively a silver jewellery brand. Of course, we love our silver, but we love our golden products just as much! It all started with a silver bracelet drawn by our founder Batul, but now, over 20 years of experience with silver later, we have manufactured some items of the popular Buddha to Buddha jewellery in both 14 and 18-carat gold. Still with the same mindful message that aims to inspire you to create your own path in life, now with an elegant golden touch. All our gold jewellery is handmade by the finest Goldsmiths with passion, beauty, quality and timelessness at the heart of the design.

The dark elements in the silver of our bracelets, rings or necklaces are darker because of the (applied) oxidation. The designers do this in order to give the jewellery a rougher look by adding more depth and giving the jewellery a fearless and bold Buddha to Buddha touch. However, some of our pieces have natural oxidation (which happens over time) in between the links, which naturally gives the bracelet its fearless touch.

During our 25 years celebration, we dropped a couple of Limited Edition items, including the George Limited collection! The Limited collection of this family includes jewellery with bronze elements based on the weaving of banana leaves in Bali. In Bali, they make umbrellas, hats but especially many baskets and small sacrificial baskets out of large Banana leaves.  Into the sacrificial baskets, Hindus put rice, biscuits and flowers for the gods. They place these on the street in front of the entrance to their house, shop or restaurant to scare away demons. If you've ever been to Bali you've probably seen them everywhere! In the limited George jewellery, you can see this weaving on the strap, and this is further emphasised by the rose bronze colour. The George family's subtle jewellery looks great on everyone, designed for both women and men.

Silver is naturally susceptible to oxidation. The material is alive and if you don't polish it regularly, it will take on a tougher look. If you don't want that, polish gently with a polishing cloth on a regular basis. If you want to give your jewellery some extra love and keep them in optimum condition, you can use the special Cleaning Kit. Like silver, bronze can rub off on the skin as well. It depends on the PH value of your skin, which is affected by the food you eat, what you drink or even whether you meditate or not. We challenge you to put this fun fact to the test and try to add some meditation to your daily routine and see whether the look of your silver jewellery changes!

The iconic Buddha to Buddha lock has become one of our most significant signature parts of our jewellery. In each lock, lots of passion and as many as 28 different complex elements are put together in order to create the clasp you have come to love.

Customers often ask, “Which bracelets are the male bracelets?”. Well, our answer is, “Any of them!”. Our jewellery is for anybody who likes to live the Buddha to Buddha lifestyle; embracing life and its contradictions. Our pieces are for the passionate, the creatives, the risk-takers and the rebels. No matter what your gender is, we challenge you to wear any piece you like and radiate your beauty, creativity, strength, and passion to the world by wearing powerful jewellery.