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Traditional Blue and Black Glass Beaded Cuff Bracelet, 'Heaven's Union'

Product ID: U76014

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Traditional Blue and Black Glass Beaded Cuff Bracelet, 'Heaven's Union'

Get it before Mother's Day [see all shipping options]

This item is available for pre-order and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Learn More

Available in 2 to 8 weeks. Learn More

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Details

Guatemala's tradition and culture are often present in its ancient textiles, testimonies of its historical richness. Inspired by these gorgeous creations once crafted by his ancestors, Álvaro Ratzan creates this glass beaded bracelet featuring a palette of blue and black hues, full of geometric figures that evoke the splendor of the Maya. Furthermore, the accessory comes with a leather-accented structure for a comfortable fit.

Made in Guatemala

  • Leather, glass beads, plastic structure, nylon
  • Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
  • Free Gift Wrap? Yes
  • Premium Gift Wrap? Yes
  • 25 grams
  • 0.88 oz
  • 16.5 cm L (end to end) x 3 cm W
  • 6.5" L (end to end) x 1.2" W
View in metric units View in US/English units

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Álvaro Ratzan

Meet the Artist

Artfully crafted by Álvaro Ratzan from Central America.

 

Meet the Artist

Álvaro Ratzan

Álvaro Ratzan

"Seeing people happy with their work is a satisfaction that cannot be explained in words, it just feels good and fills you with energy."

“I am Alvaro Ratzán. I was born in 1980 in the municipality of Santiago Atitlán, in the department of Sololá. We are a... family of 5 brothers. I grew up in a humble home. From a very young age, I saw my parents dedicate themselves to crafts. In the eighties, my mother was the first to start making and selling macramé bracelets in the town. My father was a farmer and painter who later became interested in what my mother did, and so both began to work in crafts.

“Over the years, after school, as part of the housework, I always helped my parents to make bracelets or accompanied them to sell handicrafts in Panajachel (the most touristed town in the area). I kept up that routine until I graduated. After graduating I continued to work full-time together with my father until his last days.

“My interest began when I realized that craftsmanship is an art and therefore requires more technical work, starting with the issues of quality, colors and composition. Today I have a workshop where we have a production chain, from the design of accessories to the presentation of the final product. I remember that my first work was a macramé bracelet. I felt so excited and proud that my work generated money.

“Over time, after a lot of success with sales, difficult times came. That happened to all of us who sold products made of mostacilla (glass beads) because many of the products that were in the market looked pretty and colorful, but they were not of good quality. Many of the buyers had the problem that the pieces were frayed or faded, so they stopped buying. We had very large losses, and customers were distrustful of the products. We had already made investments in the business and that's when we realized that we had to make quality products.

“The art that I do is related to the tradition of the town. For each festivity that takes place, the women dedicate themselves to making their hüipiles (Mayan blouses) with hand embroidery. First, the fabric is woven on a backstrap loom and then they adorn them with hand embroidery like birds, flowers, geometric figures, Mayan figures, etc. We use these techniques in the elaboration of our products. We use the fabrics woven on a waist loom in our bracelets and we also use the mostacilla embroidery technique.

“I work with my family. I design, then my sister is in charge of production, looking for artisans and distributing the raw material for the elaboration of the product. We have an artisan who prepares the sample of each product, and then I have another artisan who distributes it to other people who are responsible for making all the products.

“When I think about my dreams, I seek to be able to support many artisans so that they can have a decent salary. I hope that one day people will buy artisan products for their quality, for their art, since they are made with great care, hope and love and because each artisan is sacrificing to make each product. Artisans inspire me. Seeing people happy with their work is a satisfaction that cannot be explained in words, it just feels good and fills you with energy.

“A handmade product is not simply a product but it carries a set of feelings, emotions, values and time. When purchasing any product you take a part of the life of each artisan; that makes each product valuable.

“I thank Novica and its clients for making it possible for artisans to show the world their arts that they make with a lot of effort, with fair and reasonable value. As an artisan, they inspire me to keep going. There is a phrase that motivates me every day, and it is 'God blesses us to bless others'.”

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This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.

We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.

Return instructions

We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.

This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.

Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.

If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.

In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.

This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).

WOMEN S M L XL XXL
4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
BUST 35 - 36 37 - 38 39 - 41 42 - 44 46 - 48
WAIST 27 - 28 29 - 30 31 - 33 34 - 36 38 - 40
HIPS 37 - 38 39 - 40 42 - 43 45 - 46 49 - 50
MEN S M L XL XXL
CHEST 36 - 38 39 - 41 42 - 44 46 - 48 50 - 52
WAIST 30 - 32 32 - 34 35 - 37 38 - 41 43 - 45
NECK 14 - 14.5 15 - 15.5 16 - 16.5 17 - 17.5 18 - 18.5
SLEEVE 32.5 33.5 34.5 35.5 36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE

Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.

BUST / CHEST

Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.

WAIST

Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.

LOW WAIST

Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.

HIPS

Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.

NECK

Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.

SLEEVE

Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.

INSEAM

Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.

 

Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.

For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.

For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.

See buckle/tie belt size standards below.

WOMEN S M L XL  
4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
inches 26 - 30 28 - 32 31 - 35 34 - 38 38 - 42
cm 76 - 86 81.5 - 91.5 86.5 - 96.5 91.5 - 101.5 96.5 - 106.5

+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm

MEN S M L XL XXL
inches 30 - 34 32 - 36 35 - 39 39 - 43 43 - 47
cm 81.5 - 91.5 86.5 - 96.5 91.5 - 101.5 96.5 - 106.5 109 - 119

+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm

Sash tie length

Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.

Belt with buckle

Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.

Belt without buckle

Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.

Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!

DOWNLOAD

We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.

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WIN # 1 You Save!

Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. UNICEF USA partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from UNICEF Market to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.

WIN # 2 Children Benefit!

Each item purchased from UNICEF Market will benefit UNICEF's programs that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.

You can learn more about UNICEF's work, on About UNICEF.

WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!

UNICEF Market artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. UNICEF Market offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.

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