The Karen People

If you know about the Karen hill tribe people, I bet you must have watched it on TV, documentary or from any other visual media. Where the Karen hill tribe originated from is not very clear, but Tibet and the Gobi desert are said to be their possible native land. Other than that, it’s also known that the Karen people have lived in Burma for centuries, then begun to migrate into Thailand in the 18th century. Other people believe the Karen people are an ethnic group that lives in South East Asia. They are diverse ethnic and linguistic wise. Numerous sub-groups are speaking different languages and practicing different customs and religions.

Why is the Karen Hill Tribe Silver Special

Aside from the fact that “hill tribe” or “Karen hill tribe” refers to a type of silver, there is undoubtedly something special about these kinds of silver. Hill tribe mainly relates to silver which is handmade by the hill tribes of Thailand, Burma, and Laos. The handmade and chased details look excellent and it can be seen that every piece has been fastidiously created by hands of a proficient artisan.

The Karen Hill Tribe silver is between 99.5% and 99.9% pure silver. Its silver content is higher than it is in Sterling silver which has about 92.5% silver content. The Hill Tribe silver, therefore, has a weight, feel, bright satin sheen, and texture of its own. It can directly be identified by the naked eye. Most of the Karen people silver jewelry is part of their culture. Women of the Young hill tribe save their money to buy silver beads to add to their endowments.

The Hill Tribe Silver

The Hill Tribes has about 20 tribes, including the Karen people, the Yao and the Hmong. Each of the members of the family takes part in the making of silver beads, pendants as well as jewelry. After the silver is melted down with torches, and it’s poured into molds, very tiny pieces are molded by a lengthy process of tapping which is unique in style, but same as that of the Bali artisans.

There are unique beads made of fine silver in our Thai Hill Tribe silver beads collection. These beads are products of Karen Hill Tribe silversmiths situated to the northern side of Thailand and do this work using traditional tribal method and skills. Every piece is made by the hands of the locals using primitive tools, so every bead is given a lot of focus, work, and detail.

What else do The Hills Tribe Do?

They are known to be skilled weavers and the most environmentally conscious tribe of the hill tribes. They practice crop rotation thus helping to preserve the forest. The Karen hill tribe are the only people that own elephants. Their formerly detached villages now have electricity, dirt roads, and running water. Marketable crops like soya beans, tomatoes, peanuts, peppers, and beans have become almost just as important as their essential rice crop.

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