When Alan Revere was in Bangkok for a design workshop back at the end of September, I took him to a mall where many jewelry stores/stalls are. Why? Not to shop of course, but to allow him to see what we have here as far as jewelry is concerned. We first hit the area where stainless steel and costume jewelry were located. Alan said the designs were ’safe’ as far as sale is concerned but not much insterest here. We then moved to fashion jewelry section where Alan saw pieces he didn’t think would be considered jewelry. He was surprised to see jewelry made of brass that was not being plated to prevent tarnish and discoloration against the skin. After that, we walked by many fine jewelry stores. After browsing through many windows and shops filled with sparkling pieces, Alan found only one piece that was worth mentioning.
At the end of our little trip to the mall, I had a feeling that Alan wasn’t impressed by the jewelry we have available to the publics, maybe even disappointed by what he saw.
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- "Safe" Stainless
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- Gemstone Hangers
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- Purely Gems
It is a shame that Thailand is well-known for gems and jewelry manufactures but not for its design.
Ajarn Tim fowarded me an article he found and I think it’s worth reading if you want to understand what I am talking about here and the reason why Tanim was formed. The article was written by Richard Hughes who is a expert in gemology and has lived in Thailand for a while.
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/thai-jewelry-industry.htm
Contrary to Richard’s afterword, I personally think that things haven’t changed that much for the local market since he wrote the article. Gemstone “hangers” are still dominating the Thai market and Thai people still want to own things with brand names regardless of designs. Arts are still being appreciated mostly by artisits…
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Beth Wicker 11.03.08 at 2:45 p11
Wonderful to gain insight into art and jewelry in another part of the world. Thanks!