Kurdish Jewelry Guide: the Sun, the Map and the Flag as a Pendant

A Kurdish necklace is rarely just a necklace. For the community around the world it is a way to carry home on the chest: the sun of Newroz, the outline of Kurdistan, the colours of the flag. This guide explains what each pendant means, how our 18K gold plated and silver plated chains are made, and how to choose the right one for yourself or as a gift.

The sun: 21 rays and Newroz

The golden sun is the heart of Kurdish jewelry. It is the same sun that shines on the flag of Kurdistan: a disc with 21 rays, equal in size and length. The number 21 points to Newroz, the Kurdish new year on 21 March, when winter ends and fires are lit on the hills. The sun stands for light, life and a new beginning. A sun pendant is the most personal piece we make: small and fine on the women's chain, larger and bolder on the men's rope chain.

The map: Kurdistan in one outline

The map pendant shows the outline of Kurdistan with the sun in the middle and the colours of the flag set in stones: red at the top, white in the centre, green below. The community speaks of four parts, Bakur, Başûr, Rojhilat and Rojava, and this pendant shows them as one shape. It is the piece people choose when they want to say where they come from without a single word.

The flag: red, white, green and gold

The flag of Kurdistan has three horizontal bands, red, white and green, with the golden sun in the centre. Red is usually explained as the blood of those who fell for freedom, white as peace and equality, green as the mountains and the land. The flag pendant sets these colours in enamel on a round disc of 2 cm, so the flag stays sharp at any distance.

18K gold plated or silver plated

  • 18K gold plated: a thick layer of 18 karat gold over a stainless base, warm in colour and resistant to water, heat and sweat.
  • Silver plated: the same base with a bright silver finish, the choice for everyday wear and for people who prefer cool tones.
  • All pendants with the map and the sun are set with high quality zirconia stones and come in a luxury gift box.

Which chain length

  • Women: 45 cm wave chain with 5 cm adjustable extension, so the pendant sits just below the collarbone.
  • Men: 60 cm rope chain, the pendant falls on the chest and stays visible over a shirt.
  • Pendant sizes: map 4 cm, men's sun 2.4 cm, women's sun 1.8 cm, flag 2 cm.

As a gift

A Kurdish necklace is a gift for Newroz, a birthday, a wedding or a farewell before someone moves abroad. The gold plated sun is the classic choice for women, the map on the rope chain for men. Every piece ships in its own box, worldwide.

Our Kurdish jewelry collection

See the full collection: Kurdish Jewelry.

Care

Take the chain off before swimming in chlorine or salt water, keep it away from perfume and store it in the box. Wipe it with a soft dry cloth. Treated this way the plating keeps its colour for years.

Sources

  • Kurdistan Region Presidency, description of the flag of Kurdistan (gov.krd, 2024)
  • Institut kurde de Paris, The Kurdish people and Kurdistan (institutkurde.org, 2023)
  • kurdistanflag.com, The flag of Kurdistan: colours, sun and history (2026)