The Duchess of Sussex wore jewellery with a personal connection last night at the British Fashion Council Awards: her earrings and bangles were designed by artisans working with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Afghanistan, an organisation founded by the Prince of Wales in 2006.
Meghan’s jewellery was designed by Pippa Small Jewellery, which works with artisans in Kabul. Her earrings are the Nosheen Stud Earrings and retail for $60 – though they’re currently on backorder. Her bangles are the Oshna Bangle ($140); the Omeen Bangle ($190); and the Wajiha Bangle ($430), all made of silver gold plate.
“Every piece is hand made in Kabul by the men and women artisans of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation,” according to Pippa Small Jewellery’s website. “Training and employing young people in meaningful creative jobs is vitally important now in Afghanistan when the young desperately need hope and a sense of purpose in a beautiful country tragically caught up in violence and conflict.”
Since its founding in 2006, Turquoise Mountain has trained over 6,000 artisans, restored 150 historic buildings, and treated almost 120,000 patients. There are now over 50 small businesses in the Middle East, including in Afghanistan and Myanmar, which operate thanks to Turquoise Mountain.
Turquoise Mountain has three main goals: “to preserve and regenerate historic areas and communities with a rich cultural heritage and to revive traditional crafts, to create jobs, skills and a renewed sense of pride,” according to its official website.
Prince Charles founded the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in 2006 with the then-President of Afghanistan. Prince Charles said in 2007 that, “a crucial part of the project will be to enable young Afghans to see these skills [art and architecture] as living traditions and not merely as something to be consigned to museums and history books.”
Meghan wore the jewellery during a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards Monday night, where she presented the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award to Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, her wedding dress designer.
