Situated in Southern Poland, Upper Silesia is steeped in hundreds of years of mining tradition. The region’s old workers’ neighbourhoods, through their architecture and use of local motifs, serve as a reminder to locals and visitors alike of a time when men worked arm in arm with machines, and when Upper Silesia functioned as the industrial heartland of Europe.
More than 300 years ago, people travelled from across the country and beyond to access the so-called “black gold” found in Upper Silesia. Beneath this rugged exterior, however, lies a rich cultural history with roots stretching back centuries. The region boasts its own dialect, which was banned for many years in Poland but survives to this day. It also has a tangible material dimension in coal, which is being repurposed in modern times.
As folklore revival gains popularity in Poland, coal has become a commodity of a different quality. Mined in Upper Silesia since the 17th century, coal played a crucial role not only in the Polish economy but also for the entire European continent. Today, it is being transformed into jewellery as a symbolic tribute to the land from which it came.
In Katowice, the capital of Upper Silesia, several workshops are turning coal into a new type of precious commodity: delicate, hand-crafted jewellery. One such brand is I Coal You, owned and operated by Katarzyna Depa, who has deep ties to the region. Depa explains that coal jewellery symbolises mining hardships and carries significant sentimental value. Her clients include not only visitors seeking unique souvenirs but also locals who view the crafts as a way to represent their culture.
While the trend of making jewellery from coal is relatively modern, it has deeper roots in Upper Silesian tradition. The first coal beads appeared in the region in the 19th century, made by miners as gifts for their wives and girlfriends. These simple decorative forms were quick but thoughtful presents.
Coal jewellery has become a symbol of the region’s ties to its mining heritage. It represents the work ethic and respect associated with the industry that sustained Upper Silesia for generations. As Depa notes, “This respect for this raw material, which Upper Silesia fed itself and all of Poland with, is what it’s all about.”
The transformation of coal into jewellery also serves as a reminder of the physical and cultural landscape shaped by the mining industry. Each piece of coal jewellery is unique, reflecting the distinctiveness of the material itself. This artform brings respect to work that is often undervalued and allows people to appreciate the region’s industrial heritage.
In recent years, Upper Silesia has seen a resurgence of local pride and cultural expression. The once-banned Silesian dialect now appears on tote bags and shop signs. Statues of local folkloric figures adorn streets, and artists depict the mining landscape in their work. Even as coal extraction has diminished, the material remains a permanent feature of the Silesian identity.
As Depa poignantly states, “Polish highlanders wear coral beads from Italy, there are pieces of turquoise from Turkish wars in the Wawel treasury, and amber comes from the sea. But we have coal here and now, we can dig it up. And that’s probably the most beautiful thing about it. Besides, coal is simply beautiful as a stone.”
This transformation of coal into jewellery symbolises Upper Silesia’s ability to honour its past while embracing new forms of cultural expression and economic activity. It represents a unique way of preserving the region’s heritage and identity in a changing world.
