Shiana - Karen Hill Tribe Silver

Shiana
http://shiana.com/

Our Guarantee
SHIANA provides rare jewelry items and jewelry accessories to our customers. Each item is chosen because it is a masterpiece of unique quality, and has been crafted by people who put effort and care into every element of the piece. We are committed to the quality of our products and the manner in which we deliver them.

SHIANA EXPERTISE
No less than one full decade confirm our expertise in Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver. SHIANA has dedicated all our resources to popularize Karen Silver from the creation of the first Karen Silver bead. Through our close work with the Karen Silversmiths, the relationship and level of expertise we have established is unmatched. A SHIANA Expert is able to distinguish the work of our Karen silver smiths from imitations and replicas at a glance. Each piece, print, and style has been through our quality assurance process. Our experts are also trained to know all types of tribal silver including Bali, Cambodian (Khmer), and the various styles and markings of Indian silver. In 1995, as the first of today’s Karen Silver pieces were produced, SHIANA created the "Limejuice Standard" -- where we utilize the fact that the acidity in lime is strong enough to clean 100% silver to a shine while still maintaining its oxidized state. This Limejuice Standard has become the preferred way of cleaning Hill Tribe Silver.

Between 2003-2004, SHIANA has also created a method of plating Karen Silver with 24K Gold. This vermeil standard for Karen silver is based on our knowledge of old Thai gold plating methods and the chemical compositions of pure silver. SHIANA is committed to educating the public. If a question arises, please do not hesitate to contact a SHIANA Expert.





Community Goals
SHIANA is dedicated to preserving the culture of our craftsman and artisans. In making our jewelry, we will never compromise their safety or lifestyle. As our business grows, we also hope to increase funding to our many planned projects for the Karen Hill Tribe Villagers of northern Thailand.


Take a moment to visit the Shiana Blog - Karen Village http://karenvillage.blogspot.com/
Karen Village is a Shiana blog about a very special group of hill tribe silversmiths.


Shiana's Mission Statement

The World and Us: Community Mission Statement
The Hill Tribe Silver Program Local Karen artisans who are directly employed by SHIANA make SHIANA Silver. This is standardized silver and is guaranteed to be made from 99.9% pure silver. It has also passed our strict quality assurance and is unique to only SHIANA. Our artisans receive more than the average minimum wage. Through respect and dialog, we ensure not only the survival of this magnificent art, but also the long term welfare and health of our artisans and their families. When buying Karen Hill Tribe Silver or SHIANA Silver, you are ensuring that the next generation of artisans will survive to preserve the works of their forefathers.


Making silver has become a profitable advantage for the Hill Tribe families and an invaluable alternative to growing illicit crops or slash-and-burn farming. SHIANA funds education programs. In association with other charity organizations in Thailand, we wish to see an end to the exploitation of the villagers. Often times, entire villages can be seduced into growing illicit drugs in order to survive. There are also cases of individual families allowing their children to be sent away to large cities for factory work. Many times, they are deceived by the employer, and girls are set to work for the prostitution industry.

As part of our community goal, SHIANA continues to fund the building of schools and training facilities for the villagers. Schools allow us to educate the children closer to their homes. In many cases, children walk miles to the schoolhouse, if there is one available at all. Training facilities are aimed at helping older villagers. Through these facilities, we hope to help the Karen gain experience and employment. The courses range from simple education such as better farming techniques and chicken rearing to mechanic work and tourism hospitality. SHIANA seeks to improve our business in outstanding ways, but we will never compromise the lifestyle or safety of our artisans.


Your Role in Our Mission
SHIANA focuses on sustainability. However, that sustainability also comes from reliability. No man is an island. Every purchase you make is a vote of confidence. Your continued support gives us motivation to fight for the rights of our artisans, as well as our own rights to remain competitive in an industry that does not always welcome fair trade producers.