02 Feb Choo Yilin
Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery is a fine example of a company which has set out to first and fore-mostly nature the craftsmen which make it’s pieces. Choo Yilin works with the hill tribe artisans in northern Thailand and by doing so, the label helps sustain a centuries-old culture which would otherwise be in danger of dying out. The effects of modernity see many young tribesmen leave their villages for the cities to seek employment. The renewed demand for their hand-forged silver provides the tribesmen with a form of employment that allows them the choice to continue with their traditional way of life.
The label has since expanded its sustainability outreach to using eco-friendly, reclaimed precious metals, and sustainably sourced gemstones that include the avoidance of conflict free diamonds. In addition, it helps support and raise awareness of traditionally marginalised groups like the hill tribe people and the environmental destruction caused by the use of certain types of material like coral.
The label is also about making jewellery the old artisanal way, where almost everything was hand forged and crafted, and took days and weeks to make, instead of minutes or hours. It is about paying homage to traditional methods in the modern world of the mass market.
It is about applauding life in all its imperfect beauty. For that reason, the label’s designs are always organic and asymmetrical, with a preference of included gemstones and textured metals; a far cry of the high-polish and symmetry that has dictated high-end jewellery for so long.
Anonymous
Posted at 16:14h, 08 FebruarySetzen, sechs!