Hand Stamped Karen Hill Tribe Artisan Silver Cuff Bracelet - Karen Whirlwind

Artisan Organization: Achara

Country: Thailand

"We started out as a family workshop. We have been working and will continue working as a family, and we hope to have you as a part of our warm family in the near future.

"My name is Achara and, together with my husband Withaya, we are responsible for guiding the talented teams of designers and artisans who collaborate with us. Our children, Nampueng and Harley, are our constant source of inspiration.

"I started to work with silver jewelry when I was in college, together with Withaya, who was my lovely boyfriend back then. That means we have been designing, crafting and selling silver jewelry since 1984.

"When we learned that the hill tribe people of northern Thailand had wonderful silversmith skills, but that most of their jewelry wasn't considered very marketable, we decided we wanted to find a way to help them. We wanted to help in a way whereby they could earn a decent living and lead a stable lifestyle, as well as promote their culture worldwide. That's how we came to create a form of collaboration with them, whereby we could help them develop more handcrafting skills, improve their designs so they would be more appealing to the general public, and improve the quality of their work, which meant refining their centuries-old traditional methods.

"Our mission is to create unique jewelry designs, and to preserve Thai and Hill tribe cultures. I hope that you will be satisfied with our collections and feel encouraged to promote the work of the hill tribe people. Finally, our wish is that you will accept our invitation to become a part of our family too!""