Handcrafted Neckpieces & Necklaces

The Neck Edit is where House of Falguni works in cloth at the throat rather than the ear. Fabric wrapped by hand over a shape, hung from a silver-tone chain, finished with cowrie shell and bead. The same offcuts that become fabric earrings, given more room to show the print.

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A neckpiece asks a different question of an outfit than earrings do. Earrings frame a face, and you see them in profile or not at all. A neckpiece sits on the plane you actually look at while someone is talking, which makes scale the entire decision. Too large and it wears you; too small and it disappears into the neckline.

These are cut clean and meant to be worn single rather than stacked. Made by hand in small batches in Ahmedabad.

Cloth at the Throat

Indian jewellery has always been comfortable with materials that are not precious. Cowrie shells, glass, lacquer, thread, mirror, seed and bone all appear in regional traditions alongside gold, and often on the same body. The idea that jewellery must be made of something valuable to be worth wearing is a fairly recent and fairly narrow import. Working in fabric sits inside the older, broader tradition, where what mattered was the making rather than the melt value. If you want that argument at length, read why handmade accessories elevate an outfit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a neckpiece?

The word is used across India for anything worn at the neck that is not quite a formal necklace, from a single pendant on a cord to a heavier statement collar. Everything in this edit is at the lighter end of that, built on fabric rather than metal.

What is the difference between a neckpiece and a necklace?

In practice, very little, and the two words are used interchangeably in Indian English. If there is a distinction, a necklace suggests fine jewellery and a neckpiece suggests something more designed than precious. These are firmly the second thing.

Are these heavy to wear?

No. The body of each piece is fabric rather than solid metal, which is the reason a pendant this size stays light across a full day. The chain carries almost all of the weight you feel.

What is the printed cloth?

Hand block-printed cotton, from the same lengths that become our kurtas and stoles. If you want to understand what that involves, start with what Ajrakh block printing actually is.

Will the print match the photograph exactly?

No, and that is deliberate. The cloth is cut fresh for each piece, so pattern placement shifts from one to the next. Two people ordering the same print will not receive identical pieces, which is the trade-off for the cloth being cut by a person rather than stamped by a machine.

What do I wear a fabric neckpiece with?

Anything plain enough to let the print speak. A cotton kurta, a linen shirt with the collar open, a simple dress. Against a printed outfit it competes rather than finishes. The principle is the same one we set out in styling a plain black dress with Indian craft.

Should I layer it with other chains?

These are cut to be worn single. A fabric pendant has more visual weight than its size suggests, and layering it under or over metal chains muddles both. If you want a stack, build it around a plain chain instead.

What length does it sit at?

Length is listed under Product Details on each product page. As a rule these sit at the collarbone, which works with an open collar and still reads over a round neck.

Does it work as a gift?

Well, because there is no size to get wrong. It pairs naturally with the Katha Fabric Diary, which is block-printed by the same hands, or see the handcrafted gifting guide.

How do I care for a fabric neckpiece?

Do not wash it. Wipe the surface with a soft dry cloth, put perfume on before you put the piece on, and store it flat so the chain does not tangle and the fabric does not crease.