Shamballa bracelets may be bang on trend right now, but what are their origins? There’s more to these fashionable bracelets than meets the eye. Shamballa bracelets were originally made using natural stones, cords and hematite. Shamballa is a Tibetan concept and key to Buddhism – they mean tranquillity, safety, peace and love. The knot in the bracelet is the physical manifestation of safety, whilst the hematite stone was there to keep the wearer calm and provide a feeling of well-being. It’s the hectic busy nature of modern society which has made Shamballa bracelets popular once more.
The original Shamballa bracelets only used hematite which is red in colour due to the iron oxide within it. This volcanic stone occurs naturally and comes in a range of red shades. The knotting of the cord is also highly symbolic and the square knot technique used in Shamballa is key to the bracelet tranquillity.
The Meaning of Shamballa Bracelets
Each Shamballa bracelet is produced to have a specific meaning dependent on the colour of the chosen beads. Different Shamballa beads have different properties and these promote different feelings based upon individual perceptions. Modern Shamballa bracelets are designed to help the wearer recognise their moods based upon the colour combinations. Different coloured beads lead to inspire a range of feeling and sparkling and textured beads also engender different meaning and feelings.
Black and white beads are amongst the most common found on Shamballa bracelets. Black is demonstrative of strength and represents a lack of colour. It is also representative of elegance and formal style which has made it particularly popular. White Shamballa beads are almost see-through, and in general they are representative of purity and simplicity. White beads are chosen by many wearers to help them heal naturally or when looking for new clarity in their lives.
Red, orange and yellow shades have other meanings which can be combined and still look fabulous. Red represents strong emotion, passion and sexuality whilst orange is closely related to this, though it’s more related to intimacy and closeness than full blown desire. Yellow beads are worn because the wearer wants to grow in confidence and increase their natural willpower.
The final family of colours in the full range of Shamballa beads are the greens, blues and purples. Traditionally, green is considered a colour we’d associate with envy but this isn’t the case in Shamballa. In this case it refers to the search for a new beginning, balance in life or a complete new start. Blue is the representation of creativity and the desire to express it, although it also believed to have natural healing qualities. Beads in purple shades are the most powerful, in that they’re all-encompassing and represent general wisdom and happiness with the self.
Any combination of beads can be put together to create a bracelet which suits your personality and goals. The meanings are based on the ancient Chakra and relate to many other Buddhist principles. The bracelets are a great way of adding an accessory with meaning to any outfit or giving as a thoughtful gift.
