Raz Akta is reviving a lost art.
With no heirlooms to inherit, Yemenite silversmith Raz Akta picked up the craft instead— and tells the story in his own voice.
By Raz Akta.
I didn’t grow up surrounded by heirlooms. My Yemenite Jewish family had the food, the music, and the holidays, but not the objects. And for most of my life, the deeper layers of that identity felt out of reach. I knew that we had a history, but I didn’t know what it looked like or how to connect to it in an authentic way. I couldn’t understand what was missing.
That all changed a few years ago, when I saw a piece of traditional Yemenite jewelry for the first time. It was delicate, detailed, and unlike anything I had ever held or touched. Something about it made me want to understand more, and a few months later, I started looking for someone who could teach me about how this kind of jewelry was made. It took some time, but I eventually found a teacher and began learning. At first it was a hobby, and then it became a kind of research. And now it’s what I do.
Traditional, handcrafted Yemenite silverwork by Akta.
Today, I’m a silversmith. I use traditional Yemenite techniques that have almost disappeared: twisted wires, granulation, protective symbols, and specific elements that were passed down for generations. I didn’t grow up with these pieces, but now I make them. I didn’t inherit the jewelry itself, but I feel like I inherited the work of continuing it. Every time I sit down to create, it’s a way of reconnecting with something that was almost lost.
Sometimes I work with fragments. Coral beads that were once part of larger pieces. Silver amulets used to protect against spirits like Umm Subiyan. Small elements that used to be sewn into clothing or attached to wedding garments. A lot of these pieces come with no explanation. They’re too important to throw away, even if no one remembers exactly where they came from or what they meant. So I study them. And I try to give them a new life.
No one else in my family knew how to do this. The craft skipped a few generations, or many. But when I sit at the bench, I don’t feel like I’m doing it alone. It’s not just about personal memory. It’s about shared memory. And I think this kind of work, reviving a tradition that almost disappeared, is always shared. It belongs to more than just one person. Any pieces I create are part of that process. •
Raz Akta is a traditional Yemenite silversmith and cultural researcher dedicated to preserving the endangered art of Yemenite Jewish jewelry. One of the few artists still practicing this ancient craft using historical tools, symbols, and techniques. Through exhibitions, lectures, and a widely read educational blog, Raz shares the hidden stories behind each motif and material, inviting audiences into a world where jewelry is both adornment and living memory.
For inquiries, visit razaktajewelry.com, or Instagram, @razakta__