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 Wu from Kaili, Guizhou. The earring consists of dragon head, knitted ring body and bell decoration which could be removed. The earrings and hairpin the dragon head on the female's head is the symbol of good luck just like the dragon boat in the culture. This pair of earrings is made with solid fine silver which is slightly heavier than other products. However, the style of it is so unique and luxurious while the craftsmanship is among the top rank.
Technique: Knitting and engraving skills are used to create this piece. In stencil process, the sculpture of dragon head that designed by artisan is exquisitely carved on the silver slice. The twisting chain is made with knitting skills which is one of the most skillful and patient work in the silversmithing process. Artisans need to twist two silver wires which are thinner than human hair and knit with the strand before welding. Through knitting, various linear decorations are presented, which are exquisite and exquisite. Miao silvermaking has been threatened to disappear and was inscribed in National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Material: Fine silver - 25g.
*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: 3cm*3cm
Artisan: Wu is a female silvermaking artisan from Kaili, Guizhou. She is specialized in engraving, knitting and other techniques. This style of earrings is one of her signature work. Only the knitting part takes her 3 days to finish.
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.
ABOUT THE PACKAGING
We work with traditional paper making artisans from the Shiqiao ethnic communities in Guizhou (China) to create the wrapped cover of our jewellery boxes. All papers are handmade with natural material and are chemical free. We honour the sustainable way that Shiqiao people work and have been living with nature for the last millennium. At the same time, we aspire to raise the awareness of packaging waste and encourage the recycled use of each of our paper cover.