| Hill tribe silver jewelry from northern Thailand, though | | | | wearing of silver jewelry. What once was a artistic skill |
| hundreds of years old in its distinct design, works well | | | | honed in the tiny tribal villages in the mountains of |
| accessorizing even the most up-to-date fashion trend. | | | | northern Thailand now can be found produced in the |
| Hill tribe bracelets, for instance, can feel classic or | | | | factories of Thailand’s second largest city, |
| contemporary or ethnic, depending upon their individual | | | | Chang Mai. On Wualai Street in Chang Mai all manners |
| motif and design. | | | | of silver jewelry and silver objects are crafted. Intricate |
| Over 100 years ago, the Hilltribe peoples migrated | | | | patterns of hill tribe-inspired designs—bracelets, |
| south from China into what are now Burma, Laos, | | | | earrings, necklaces and rings—are hammered out by |
| Vietnam, and Thailand. The main profession of all these | | | | Thai silversmiths. |
| tribes is farming, and all of them tend to migrate | | | | Aside from the work of the Chang Mai city artisans, a |
| whenever they feel that the soil at their present | | | | buyer of silver in northern Thailand can still purchase |
| location is becoming depleted. | | | | the less refined silverwork of the hill tribes. |
| Approximately twenty distinct tribes of semi-nomadic | | | | Surprisingly enough, most hill tribes even today prefer |
| peoples, collectively called hill tribes, live in the mountains | | | | silver to paper for money; the women usually wear |
| along the Burmese and Laotian borders of northern | | | | their wealth in heavy chunky necklaces and earrings. |
| Thailand. The largest and most prominent hill tribes are | | | | Hill tribe jewelry purchased in northern Thailand is |
| the H’mong, Akha, Lisu, Lahu, Meo, and Karen. | | | | usually sold by the actual gram weight multiplied by the |
| Culturally the tribes are of interest because their | | | | gram price of the day. |
| relative isolation has enabled them to retain almost | | | | On the web site, several beautiful designs of hill tribe |
| unchanged customs and traditions that go back | | | | bangles and bracelets are available in sterling silver. |
| centuries. | | | | Intricate designs of woven or braided sterling as well |
| Each tribe is district, with its own culture, religion, | | | | as delicate sterling silver mesh work capture the spirit |
| language, art, and dress. With Thailand undergoing rapid | | | | and essence of this ancient craft. You can also find |
| modern development, it is difficult yet to say whether | | | | authentic Thai baht chain necklaces made in polished |
| these tribes will continue in there traditional ways of life, | | | | sterling silver. The baht chains are available in four |
| or whether they will eventually be absorbed into the | | | | popular lengths: 16", 18", 24" and 30". The classic baht |
| surrounding and ever more-encroaching Thai society. | | | | chain necklace is comprised of small rectangular links |
| A rich part of their cultural tradition is the making and | | | | weighing a particular "baht" weight. |