Hi, I’m Natalia
NamystoCraft is my small studio where beaded jewelry inspired by Ukrainian tradition comes to life. It all started with a single sylianka I wove for myself, and a passion that grew into a life’s work.
Every piece means weeks of searching for patterns in museum collections and old photographs, choosing colours and long evenings of weaving. I want each piece to be not only beautiful, but to tell a story.
I believe a tradition stays alive when it is worn. That is why I make beadwork that looks just as natural with an embroidered shirt as with a modern dress or jeans.
«A necklace is more than jewelry. It is a talisman, a memory and love strung on a thread.»— NamystoCraft
What are sylianka and gerdan?
A sylianka is a wide beaded collar that Ukrainian women have worn since the 19th century. The name comes from the verb “to string”: beads were threaded into lace-like patterns of diamonds, stars and flowers.
A gerdan is a longer beaded ribbon worn by both women and men as a talisman. Every colour and pattern had a meaning: red for love and life, black for the earth, white for purity.