Salema; [Author]

Saleha Akter Urmi; [Facilitator]

My jewellery (embroidery)

Fultola (embroidery)

Embroidery (EMB)

Decorative

This necklace was given to Salema at her wedding by her husband's family. When crossing the border to Bangladesh during the 2017 influx, she had to sacrifice her necklace to pay for the border crossing. She misses that necklace.

Jewellery is precious to Rohingya women, like many women around the world. Gold jewellery is given to brides as mohorana (dower) when they are married, usually during the fultula-toli (engagement ceremony). The mohorana is a form of financial security for the woman: a source of support on which she can fall back in the event that she is widowed or divorced. While heavy silver jewellery was common among the Rohingya in older days, it is rarely seen today. Delicate gold jewellery, often with floral motifs, is preferred.