The silversmiths of Northern Thailand have built their lives around silver and silver crafts for centuries. These artisans - known as the "Hill Tribe" artisans - live in various tribes which occupy the Gold Triangle area of Thailand, near the borders of Thailand, Laos and Burma (Myanmar). This region is also known for its high production of opium.

The Hill Tribe peoples often use silver in place of paper money, and silver jewelry carries much cultural importance, signifying wealth, status and spirituality.

The Hill Tribe silversmiths create each detailed jewelry component painstakingly by hand from fine (99.9%) silver. They form silver sheets and wire from silver ingots, and then hammer, solder, mold, and engrave each piece to completion. Because each jewelry component is handcrafted individually, no two beads, pendants, or clasps are exactly the same. Each carries its own silent story of the artisan family who created it.

A note about fine silver: Unlike sterling silver (which contains 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper), fine silver is very resistant to tarnishing. Your Hill Tribe components will not require polishing as often as sterling silver.

Copyright © 2004 by Chris Franchetti. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reprinted or published without express written permission from the author.