Announcement    Background

Stories of Silver is a handcrafted contemporary jewelry brand that works alongside the Karen Hilltribe community in Phra Bat Huai Tom settlement in Northern Thailand (curiously, also the country’s only vegetarian-only village). Our aim is to empower the villagers and preserve their traditional silver-making techniques, to pass on the charm of silver and the beauty of mindfulness that can be found within their way of living to ensure the sustainable future of this community.

We believe that there is beauty that lies beyond the visible realm and that together we could help create a more inclusive society. In accordance with this philosophy, we have co-developed a line of jewelry items alongside Thailand Association of the Blind where 19% of the profit of items from this particular collection goes toward the White Cane Fund under the Association.

Our design and product development philosophy

-Beauty more than the eyes can see
With our silver jewelry, we aim to explore and share the process of mindfulness, dedication and perseverance that is incorporated in every item we produce. We would like to transmit these ideas to whoever will be wearing our jewelry as a reminder of conscientiousness during their everyday activities. We believe that jewelry created in this way does more than just ''look good'', it also ''does good'' and gives back to the whole community, as the sales help preserve and keep alive the traditional arts and crafts of the Karen hill tribe people.

-Co-creation creates synergy and fosters relationships in a community
Some of our jewelry pieces is the work of more than 3 families in the village. This is the way to continue the tradition and pride of each family. Each silversmith family specializes in making different kinds of beads and components. We combine what one is best at and create synergy through design.

-Long-lasting and convertible design
We design the product with sustainability in mind. One of the ways to reduce waste is by making a product that the user cherishes for a long time and can be used on multiple occasions.

-Material truth and authentic techniques
We create contemporary design while still showcasing the true beauty of silver material through matte surfaces and textures without any plating, applying traditional techniques such as cat fur scratch - a texturing technique using stone to create a thin line texture, chiseling effects using a sharp hammer, traditional ‘pod duang’ stamping, the pattern that was used to stamp old coins. Each beads were handmade from silver sheets, cut, rolled, welded to form the final shape, and then threaded using cotton cords like in the old days. We also explored new techniques using simple materials that could be found within the village. For example, pressing the silver sheet with a fire tree seed pod to create a slate-like texture or pouring molten silver onto burnt bamboo to create a crocodile skin texture.

Stories of Silver experience extends beyond the jewelry itself. We tell the stories of people and community behinds each piece; their beliefs, their way of living, their heritage and their crafts. Our packaging features hand-woven local cloth, creating thus additional occasion for work and earning for the community members.

We wish for our jewelry to be a source of encouragement, a suggestion for whoever is wearing it to find himself, be mindful, and concentrate in every moment of the day while contributing to the opportunity for Phra Bat Huai Tom community to remain truthful to their culture and beliefs, bringing about the proudness to be Karen Hill Tribe and to pass on the heritage that connects to mindfulness.