This handmade creation is offered in partnership with NOVICA, in association with National Geographic. These beaded dangle earrings presented by Thai artisan Siriporn feature refreshingly minty shades of green and blue. The earrings are handmade with dyed turquoise-blue calcite and dyed green quartz, and accented by sterling silver beads.
Product Features:
- Weight: 3 grams
- Dimensions: 1.3" L x 0.3" W
- Color: Green, Blue
- Shape: Round
- Material: Gemstone, Sterling Silver
- Style: Dangling
- Gemstone: Quartz
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Made in Thailand
Story Behind the Art:
I'm Siriporn Tongwat. My nickname is Koy, which means 'Pinkie.' It's usually given to the youngest daughter of the family. I am the younger of two children. We have our cat, Matoom, the boss of the family. Before we moved to Chiang Mai, we lived in Petchabun in Central Thailand. Petchabun's symbol is a sweet tamarind because the province is filled with tamarind groves. My childhood was very simple but my dream was wonderful. One of the luckiest happenings in my life was moving to live in Chiang Mai. There are lots of art and culture festivals, which provide many interesting handicrafts. I myself had a chance to attend some traditional events, for example, joining the march of the river goddess worship ceremony called Loy Kra Thong. I chose to bring decorations crafted from local materials to sell in the Lanna Inherit event. My materials were easy to find
for example, interesting wood scraps. I peeled the fresh bark neatly, polished the wood to sheen, and knotted it into a bracelet with hemp robe. 'That was the first step toward working with beads. Together with Kai Kitima, a Novica-featured artisan, I set up a workshop in 1997. I learned a lot from working with her over six years, and would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to her and her lovely family who gave me the great experience and took care of me very well. 'In 2003, I associated with another friend to open a small shop. We sold necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other small decorations. Most of them were made one-of-a-kind pieces. When they were sold, we would make a design. My designs used a very wide range of materials glass, stones, soil and gemstones. I matched everything together as sculptural works. I couldn't receive many orders because only the two of us crafted the designs and we were afraid that we might not be able to deliver them on time. 'Some people just bought my necklaces for their art collections, since my main designs were crafted from hundreds of tiny beads. Moreover, they were decorated with beautiful and very exquisite details, but they couldn't be worn. Sometimes, I'd take an entire week or two to finish a piece. I don't have the shop anymore because of economics and time management. However, I still love working with beads. So I send my designs to a friend's shop in Bangkok on consignment. I now have more free time, so I spend it simply traveling on foot. Some days, unconsciously, I walk many kilometers, very far from home. I walk slowly and survey the environment around me even small grass flowers growing beside the road, the caterpillar on the tree branch. I have looked at them until they turn into butterflies. All of these serve as inspiration to create my jewelry.
Please allow 10 business days for the product to leave our warehouse and to receive tracking information. You should expect to receive this item within 15 business days of the order date.