Kerala Small Openable Heirloom Amulet Necklace in Solid Gold

Kerala Small is an openable heirloom amulet necklace in solid 14K or 18K yellow gold by Kavacha Designs. Kavacha is Sanskrit for spiritual armor: each Kavacha is a prayer amulet with a private chamber inside.

The design

Kerala Small is inspired by the early 20th-century tawiz belt worn by Muslim women in Kerala, South India. The tawiz took many forms, including pendants, engraved metal pieces and framed prayers, each believed to offer divine safeguarding. It is designed to hold a small amount of a loved one's ashes, carried wherever the wearer goes.

What it holds

The amulet opens to a private inner chamber with a gasketed closure. It can hold a written prayer, a lock of hair, a small amount of ashes or another small keepsake.

Details

• Metal: Solid 14K or 18K yellow gold
• Stones: None
• Size: Approximately 37.5 mm × 7 mm
• Weight: Approximately 21.71 g in 14K, including chain and clasp (factory specification)
• Chain: 2.28 mm trace chain, 20 in at full length (factory specification 16 + 2 + 2 in)
• Clasp: Medium clasp
• Hallmark: Kavacha hallmark and a branded K tag

Edition

This is the solid gold edition, made to order in 14K or 18K yellow gold. Production may take weeks to months depending on the piece; contact Kavacha before ordering for a current estimate. Kerala Small is also available in sterling silver, ready to ship, listed separately.

Who makes it

Designed by Jayashri Triolo, who founded Kavacha Designs in 2017 after decades of collecting amulets. She draws each design by hand in pen and ink; her longtime caster's team builds the 3D model from the drawing, and she reviews it for scale and fidelity before casting. Each piece is lost-wax cast from a 3D-printed wax, then stone-set where it has stones, finished and hallmarked. Weights and dimensions are nominal and vary slightly from piece to piece.

Care

Once ashes or another irreplaceable trace are inside, the piece is not meant to be opened and closed casually or repeatedly, although it can be reopened when necessary. Water resistance has not been tested, so do not treat the piece as watertight. Contact Kavacha before filling it for guidance.