DESCRIPTION OF THE JEWELLERY
湛ZHAN is the exceptional collection of our jewellery with the most exquisite and high-qualified work. All the pieces are handmade by experienced artisans with unique skills, only a few in the region even whole China are capable to do it. This silver earring is handmade by the artisan Yang. This pair of earrings consists of more than 50 engraved and carved silver pieces of flowers, calabash, butterflies, maples, flowery bells and decorated ball. This style is inspired by the splendid and sparkling traditional Miao ornaments that always impress people at first glance by its vivid, luxurious and elegant appearance, especially when women dance with it. Each silver slice is fairly delicate and thin, which makes the earrings light and easy to wear without making much noise.
Technique: Highly skillful engraving, carving and welding techniques are used. The sculpture of each piece is design and made by artisan and through engraving, patterns show up on the silver slice before it is carved with various details. Since the silver wires and slices are thin and fragile (S999 silver), the welding work of these earrings is very difficult and time consuming. Artisan needs to use a thin wire to weld each part. Miao silvermaking has been threatened to disappear and was inscribed in National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Material: Fine silver - 15g.
*Fine silver has a millesimal fineness of 999. Also called pure silver, it is less and less used in jewellery making due to its soft feature that increases the difficulty in the making process. However, to respect the tradition in the region, artisans insist to use fine silver to create high-qualified pieces with exquisite technique.
Size: 6.5cm*4cm
Artisan: Yang started to learn silversmithing from his dad when he was 8 years old. Now he is running a family workshop with his wife in Qiandongnan, Guizhou. Not like his dad who focuses on making silver jewellery with traditional style, Yang always wants to create contemporary pieces with traditional skills and knowledge. The creativity and ingenuity that younger generation of silversmith bring Miao silvermaking into a new era.
ABOUT THE JEWELLERY
In the remote mountain areas of Guizhou, Southwest of China, Miao and other minority groups carry forward the culture of handmade silver jewellery with traditional techniques that have been developing for hundreds of years. Lacking their own written language, local people use silversmithing to pass down their rich culture. The exquisite craftsmanship, artistic design and soulful approach make it splendid works of art.
Our silver jewellery is inspired by the wisdom of ethnical culture and the harmony of the indigenous communities with nature. Its profound philosophy gives it strong individuality and distinguished feature. We work with eight ancestral workshops and more than 30 artisans from the local communities to create our jewellery. Each piece is carefully handmade with the fine silver (999 silver) and unique patterns. The whole process consists of over 30 complex steps and could last for several days.
We aspire to provide opportunities to preserve this traditional craftsmanship and find its way to a wider world. In addition, we hope to support the development and growth of artisan communities.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
All silver jewellery will age and tarnish naturally. Store your pieces individually in small zip-lock plastic bags after having removed as much air as possible. We also provide jewellery care services, please contact us if it’s needed.