ALKE: One-of-a kind sustainable jewellery

As people become more aware of the impact their lifestyle choices have on the environment, the demand for sustainable fashion has increased. Materials like plastic and paper as well as household items like keys and buttons are often used in sustainable jewellery designs.

In terms of local designers, Sara Nazoor is one who stands out. She is 27 years old and is a self-taught jewellery artist. Nazoor is also a mother of one and an advocate for mental health. “I have been creating jewellery since the age of 13 and walked around the island in 2018 to raise awareness on mental health and suicide prevention,” she said.

Nazoor describes her brand ALKE as a sustainable jewellery brand that strives to create one of a kind statement pieces. She spoke to Daily FT about her craft, the use of waste material, and her collection Dakuna.

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Sara Nazoor

Q: You are a self-taught jewellery artist. What drew you to this craft?

When I made my first piece of jewellery, I was 13 years old. My elder sister used to remake her old jewellery into new pieces and, as an annoying younger sister, I just wanted to try it! Eventually, it turned out to be a hobby, something I could do to de-stress myself and express my feelings with.

I spent most of my free time making jewellery and trying to teach anyone who passed by. I even convinced my younger brother once that making bracelets was a hip thing to do; it did not end well for me though. Even as a teenager, I would see something and an idea would spark and I could not rest peacefully until I finished making it.

While pursuing my higher education in psychology I self-learned quite a lot of techniques in jewellery making, volunteered at fashion events whenever I had the opportunity, and read through a lot of jewellery design books.

The jewellery brand was initially launched in 2014 at the Colombo Design Market and I got the opportunity to showcase at Artwalk in 2015. In 2016, I participated in an International art and design competition and was placed third. I ended up taking a break from my ALKE, immersing myself and learning and practising all by myself.

While researching and after three years, I ended up relaunching ALKE as a sustainable jewellery brand in 2020.

Q: What goes into creating ALKE products?

Recycled and ethically sourced material made and designed by people who are paid fair wages for the work they do. It also includes quite a lot of background research for each design.  

Q:How do you draw inspiration for designs and what kind of material do you use?

For me, jewellery is a way of bringing my perspective of events, emotions and memories into tangible forms. The whole process, from conception to final product, is challenging and quite satisfying. Every piece I create takes me on an adventure and I love that. We combine upcycled material with precious and semiprecious material in our designs.

Q: Your jewellery reuses waste products. How do you incorporate them into designs?

Initially, I wanted to work with recycled material because it was challenging. It still is, but now I also get the added satisfaction of increasing the lifecycle of a PET bottle, clothing and other material.

Mostly these materials are chosen based on their appearance, then I would spend some time researching the components of the waste material; Can it be manipulated, can we set stones on it, how much heat can it withstand, is it safe, if not what can we do to make it safe and so on.

Then we move on to testing. Sometimes the whole project ends up being useless and just another scrap piece to melt, but sometimes it works out and that is when I start designing more pieces utilising the material. Once we have a rough idea of how much material each design would need, I collect waste materials through personal contacts, purchase them or at times the material comes through an organisation.

It depends on the waste material and where I can find it. Once I had to haul in 100 odd PET bottles from a corporate office for a piece of jewellery. What we do is somehow intercept the waste material before it reaches a garbage dump.

Q: Where do you hope to take ALKE in the future?

The next step for ALKE will be eventually taking our jewellery across seas. However, I am looking forward to a much needed break before I start my next collection.

Q: Tell us about the mini-exhibition at PR.

Dakuna is a collection that explores my relationship with the southern part of the island. Since both of my parents hailed from Galle, almost all our holidays were spent at my grandparents’ house. As a child I adored this place and the freedom it brought along with it, and later on I got the opportunity to visit other fascinating areas, experience different communities within the province.

This collection is a celebration of memories, phrases and experiences gathered throughout the years within the southern part of the island. It includes the sun, sea, sand and, most of all, people and community at the heart of it.

Q: Where can people find your products?

All our collections are exclusively available in store and online at PR at the moment and if anyone wishes to get a custom piece done they can contact us through our Instagram page @alke_19.

Pix courtesy PR