the karen artisans at work

i won't be the least bit surprised if you've never given a moment's thought to what goes on behind-the-scenes in the production of your jewellery pieces. these days, jewellery is most often casted as opposed to being handmade. in this post though, you'll get to see the Karen artisans at work with their metal of choice - 99.9% silver, also known as fine silver:

fine silver has an extremely high silver percentage, though after working with it, there is a slight contamination with the elements which brings the actual silver content down to between 95-97%. In comparison to the international 92.5% sterling silver, fine silver is very much softer and more malleable, and also more tarnish-resistant. the nature of the artisans' handmade work is also such that no two pieces are completely alike.

 

doing this series on raising awareness for the hilltribe community's way of life though, has brought back a long ago memory of my maternal grandfather as a silversmith. on our once to twice-a-year school holiday visits back to the sleepy Malaysian township of Seremban, the curious child that i was would often stand at his side watching him work at his desk, firing up the blow torch, pumping with his feet, and heating and hammering away. then the hiss of cooling metal, and the process repeats. of course, i'd get bored and head off to play, and sometimes, if i was lucky, i'd come back to him again and get to see the finished product : )