This handmade creation is offered in partnership with NOVICA, in association with National Geographic. Knotted by hand on silvery strands, gemstones cluster in radiant earrings. Nareerat in Thailand combines red and pink quartz with rose quartz and sparkling faceted beads to handcraft these earrings.
Product Features:
- Weight: 6 grams
- Dimension: 4.3 cm L x 1.5 cm W
- Style: Dangle
- Gemstone colors: Pink
- Materials: Glass
- Metal: Sterling silver, silver plated brass
- Finish: High polish
- Clasp: Hook
- Made in Thailand
Story Behind the Art:
To create my jewelry, I like to sit in the middle of the materials – colorful stones and pearls in many shapes… Nature is a reference for my designs. My name is Nareerat Tansuwansophon but you can call me Lek. I was born into a Catholic family in Trang province, in southern Thailand. My mother passed away after I was born. I am the youngest child of six siblings and have three brothers and two sisters. My family members are merchants. My house was next to the church so I did many activities at the church. My family believed in God, just as I do.
"In 1982, after I graduated from grade nine, I moved to Bangkok. There I was a secretarial major at the Convert of the Holy Infant Jesus School, where I studied for three years. Then I worked as a buyer at a foreign trading agency until 1992 when an enamel company asked me to work in their marketing department. I thought it was a good opportunity so I worked there for three years before I quit to get married. My hobby is origami, folding papers into many shapes. In 1996, my first daughter was born. I named her Ice. While I was pregnant, I spent all of my time doing origami. It made me get better and appreciate art. After I had some time off for being pregnant, I went back to work for another three years until I had cute twin sons in 2000. They are H and OAT. I quit working again when I had the twins and devoted all my time to them.
"When I moved to a new house about a year later, I was so bored. I wanted to have my own small business so I looked for products at the big Bangkok market. I liked several kinds of jewelry so I bought some of them to sell at my sister's shop. The feedback was great, so I decided to design my own jewelry in 2004. I have faith and believe in God, and I want to look after my three children so they grow up to be good people. I also want to make jewelry. At present, I live with my husband and our children, and I do my jewelry by myself.
"The greatest challenge in my life may not be exciting but it is challenging to me. It is making jewelry and presenting my ideas through my designs. One of my best memories is when the doctor told me that I was expecting twins. It was the best gift from God. And one more good memory is when I sold a necklace I named 'Green Silk Curtain' to my first customer. It was the first necklace I designed and crafted by hand. Now I am able to offer work to more than 30 women in my community, both on permanent and temporary basis. Some of these women were single when they started working with me, and now they have children so I let them take home some of the work and pay them extra. They seem happy with the way we work together, and that's the main reason for staying with me at the workshop.
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.