Turquoise and Sterling Silver Floral Necklace - Chakra Spirit

Artisan Organization: Michael Krainer

Country: Central America

"My family and I launched our jewelry workshop in our humble apartment. We lived in a working class neighborhood in Bangkok where our friends and neighbors also worked from home.

"I promised my wife, Noa, that l would earn enough someday for a proper workshop and would move my workbench and machines out of our home. I kept that promise and, in 1999, my family was finally able to reclaim the living room.

"My wife is our main jewelry designer. Her flair and keen eye for original design has brought us our success. I started off as the craftsman and I feel like a little piece of my soul goes into each piece. I feel as though artisans give away a part of themselves in every bit of jewelry. For me, it is just as important being successful as well as providing for our five children.

"Some of our family members help us. We believe that treating our team with respect and dignity makes them feel cared for and they also give part of themselves when they craft, set gemstones or polish a piece of jewelry. Our workshop provides amenities such as a ping pong table and a snooker table for all the staff to enjoy during breaks. We also have a work family holiday once a year where we travel to a holiday resort for three days to relax and have fun.

"We mostly use 925 silver and a wide range of gemstones that we cut and set to fit our designs.

"We hope you like our designs. We send our greetings and love in every piece and look forward to sharing our collections with you for many years to come.""