Strolling down a city street, your eyes might easily be drawn to the fashionable women and their captivating ornaments: broad and delicately designed silver bracelets, peacock-blue yak-boned necklaces inlaid with turquoise, and dangling earrings made of red coral and Tibetan silver.

These ornaments, previously of a sort only seen adorning Tibetan women, now prevail in many large and medium-sized cities in China, having gained particular favor among students and working women seeking to express their individuality.

Tibetan ornaments seem naturally imbued with a mystical flavor. The main materials may include turquoise, yak bones, red and yellow corals, Tibetan silver and other natural elements. Features come together in a simple, unconstrained motif, and the brilliant colors and bold, wild designs instill high fashion. With little need for complicated craftsmanship, a wild, trendy bracelet or necklace can come into being simply by joining several natural stones, corals, and a yak-hide string.

There are a variety of Tibetan ornaments, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, and the crafting techniques include enchasing, inlaying, and wire drawing. In a broader sense, Tibetan ornaments also include living and religious articles, such as snuff bottles, whose hollowed-out designs demonstrate the craftsmen's skills; prayer wheels, which can be found throughout Tibet; barrels to hold rice for offering before Buddha images; sea-snail-shaped ritual horns; and splendid-colored Thangka paintings. All these have become popular.

Compared with ornaments from other regions, the finer crafts of Tibet feature irregular shapes due to the natural quality of the materials, their splendid colors and rough, but unique handcraftsmanship. The designs mostly derive from religious beliefs and the lifestyle of the Tibetan people, the symbols convey special meaning and the deeply-hued Tibetan silver is a mysterious temptation. Genuine Tibetan silver products are handmade by Tibetan silversmiths and each is unique. The originality satisfies the modern spiritual desire of the wearer and their demand for particularity and individuality. And, largely due to the inexpensive prices, these objects are in chic.

Tibetan ornaments also convey a culture. Many of the Tibetan silver bracelets are carved with the six-syllable mantra ("Om Mani Padme Hum"), which in Tibetan Buddhism is believed to have the ability to eliminate disease, fear of death, prolong life and increase wealth. Some pendants are in the design of Vajra, which in Buddhism is a ritual instrument for subduing demons, believed to dispel all sins and bring people power, courage, and intelligence. Amulets are often silver or bronze small boxes inlaid with pearls or precious stones and are used to contain clay or metal images of Buddha, Tibetan pills, Buddhist paintings or photos of a living Buddha. Another example is Tibetan opals, which fall into 12 categories according to the number of cat's-eyes one contains, each representing a particular meaning. For example, a one-eye opal represents brightness and wisdom, and a two-eye opal represents harmonious marital relationship and happy family life.

It is because of the cultural connotation of Tibetan ornaments that Mou Xianghui, owner of Makye Ame, a Tibetan-style bar and restaurant, has become an enthusiastic collector of Tibetan ornaments and articles of daily use. Mou used to work with a multinational corporation, and through her relationship with her Tibetan husband, she fell in love with Tibetan culture and opened the food and beverage business.

Today, Tibetan-ornament stores are commonplace in fashionable and bustling districts in large cities, such as Houhai, Xinjiekou, Xidan and Sanlitun in Beijing and Xiangyanglu and Shaanxi Nanlu in Shanghai. In addition, some domestically well-known websites have devoted special sections to Tibetan ornaments as well as introductions to Tibetan culture and customs.