A French technique passementerie particularly for jewellery and cartouche, in decorative and often fanciful designs that are always formed, shaped and contained by Russia braid.
* Several rows of self coloured or contrasting coloured braids can be stitched together through their centres to make elaborate and colourfully patterned braid only designs but the main driver of soutache is to contain jewels, pearls, semi precious stones and beads.
* Russia braid is a narrow braid with a central stitched line and rounded edges that resembles double piping. It’s very malleable and is applied by stitching along the centre line – the stitches become almost invisible and the rolled edges raise slightly to show a soft line.