About Bali and Thai Silver
Bali Silver
The artisans of Bali have passed down their silversmithing skills and secrets through generations of creative families for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The Bali artisans construct their beads, pendants and other jewelry components from regionally mined silver and combine it with small amounts of copper to form sterling silver.
Each bead or component is handcrafted from sterling silver sheets through cutting, shaping, soldering, filing and finishing. Bali silver designs are famous for their intricate designs, which the artisans create completely by hand by soldering tiny coiled silver wires, drops, and discs onto handmade hollow beads.
Genuine Bali components have become so popular in Western fashion that there are now many cheaper imitations on the market, most of which are cast (or "molded") instead of fabricated by hand. But the intricacy and artisanship of true Bali designs set them apart from the imitations, and they make a very special addition to any jewelry collection.
Thai Hill Tribe Silver
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.
Author Info: Chris Franchetti is owner of the online store Chetti Beads at http://www.chettibeads.com, offering hard-to-find beads, findings, supplies, mixed media components, and project ideas. She also designs jewelry (http://www.beadjewelry.net) and is Editor of the BellaOnline.com Fashion Jewelry site at http://fashionjewelry.bellaonline.com. Terms:
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