When I first joined the Bead World as a maker in 2002 (I didn’t turn it into a full-time profession until 2005) it was the golden age of Hill Tribe Silver, and it was everywhere. I instantly fell in love with the hand-made, detailed designs, and used the beads and findings liberally in my own jewelry making. Most of my creations were stringing and simple wire work back then. I was still building a knowledge of bead weaving through nonstop classes at our local bead store back then, Nomadic Notions.
Hill Tribe Silver beads and findings are handcrafted by the Karen Hill Tribe who reside in the hills of Northern Thailand, Myanmar and Southern Laos, using ancient silversmithing techniques that are passed down from generation to generation. They use 99.5 to 99.99% pure silver
in their work, as opposed to sterling silver which is only 92.5% pure silver (the rest is made up of other metals like copper.) This pure silver content means that Hill Tribe Silver will resist tarnishing far longer than something like sterling silver. It is the “other” metals in silver that tarnish, with copper being the worst culprit.)
In 2002, the silver market was trading around $4.50 to $4.75 per ounce. I remember my first trip to Tucson around 2005 or 2006 and I could buy Bali Daisy Spacers for 20 cents a gram! Man, I wish I’d invested in a lot more of them. Because fast forward to Spring 2011 and the market reached an all-time high of $43.92 per ounce. That’s a 10x increase from 10 years before. And that, my friends, killed off the bulk of the Hill Tribe Silver market. People were no longer able to easily afford to include fine silver in their everyday jewelry makings. The rise of the silver-plated findings and beads usage quickly became the normal expectation.
Silver prices have decreased from those historic high spikes to $22.84 per ounce as I write this today, but like any commodity, it fluxuates daily. Still, at this price point, using Hill Tribe Silver again is a possibility. Perhaps not as the sole silver metal for all your jewelry but definitely in special pieces.
My business friend and partner, Jon Kubricht, recently returned from a 3 week trip to Bali, Thailand, and Nepal. And because he’s a Bead Guy (yes, that’s a formal title that deserves capitalization) he brought back a BUNCH of wonderful beads from each location. Including, to my eternal delight, an assortment of Hill Tribe Silver. I’ll share some of the photos he took on his excursion to a village of Karen Hill tribe members where he was able to watch the silversmithing in person, as well as purchase directly from the tribe members. And he’s willing to share his bounty with us!
I have pendants and clasps, earrings, and charms, and amazing tiny 2mm pure silver round beads that could be used in beadweaving. Those 2mm babies blow my mind when you realize that every single tiny bead is created by hand.
Not only is Hill Tribe Silver unique due to the fine silver content and the expert handmade craftsmanship, but purchasing and using Hill Tribe Silver also helps the Karen Hill Tribes to earn a living in a very challenging environment.
Here are some YouTube videos I found that show the conditions under which the members of the tribe work and live, as well as the old world methods used to make these small pieces of art:
We hope we’ll be able to get more of this beautiful silver shipped to us on a regular basis from his new contacts there, so while we might sell out quickly, fingers crossed there will be more on the way.
You can find the Hill Tribe Silver at: https://shop.jillwisemandesigns.com/hill-tribe-silver-clasps-beads-pendants/