The Karen hill tribe has long been renowned for creating some of the world’s most beautiful silver jewelry. The ethnic motifs and matte finish of the traditional silver often reflect the silversmith’s affinity with nature that is skillfully adapted for contemporary lifestyles.
The Karen are able to bring their goods to market thanks to a Fair Trade organization that works with more than 60 artisan groups of diverse backgrounds and cultures from all regions of Thailand. They are thus able to generate a fair income for village artisans while keeping ancient craft traditions alive. Some groups focus on, or include, people with special needs while others face social, political or environmental difficulties. The rest include village cooperatives, slum projects, and small community workshops. All partners know about and are expected to follow Fair Trade practices and keep to internationally recognized standards of working behavior and responsibility.