This handmade creation is offered in partnership with NOVICA, in association with National Geographic. Knotted by hand on golden strands, gemstones cluster in radiant earrings. Nareerat combines yellow quartz with bright garnets and carnelian, citrine, peridot and glass beads to craft the earrings.
 

Product Features:
 

• Weight: 0.25 oz
• Dimension: 1.8" L x 0.6" W
• Style: Cluster
• Two hand-knotted bead-cut quartzes each measure 10 mm and two measure 4 mm
• Two hand-knotted bead-cut carnelians each measure 6 mm and two measure 4 mm
• Multiple hand-knotted chip-cut quartzes, citrines, peridots and garnets
• Metal: Sterling silver
• Finish: High polish
• Clasp: Hook
• Made in Thailand.

Story Behind the Art:
 My name is Nareerat Tansuwansophon but you can call me Lek. I was born into a Catholic family in Trang province, in southern Thailand. My mother passed away after I was born. I am the youngest child of six siblings and have three brothers and two sisters. My family members are merchants. My house was next to the church so I did many activities at the church. My family believed in God, just as I do. In 1982, after I graduated from grade nine, I moved to Bangkok. There I was a secretarial major at the Convert of the Holy Infant Jesus School, where I studied for three years. Then I worked as a buyer at a foreign trading agency until 1992 when an enamel company asked me to work in their marketing department. I thought it was a good opportunity so I worked there for three years before I quit to get married. My hobby is origami, folding papers into many shapes. In 1996, my first daughter was born. I named her Ice. While I was pregnant, I spent all of my time doing origami. It made me get better and appreciate art. After I had some time off for being pregnant, I went back to work for another three years until I had cute twin sons in 2000. They are H and OAT. I quit working again when I had the twins and devoted all my time to them.

The greatest challenge in my life may not be exciting but it is challenging to me. It is making jewelry and presenting my ideas through my designs. One of my best memories is when the doctor told me that I was expecting twins. It was the best gift from God. And one more good memory is when I sold a necklace I named 'Green Silk Curtain' to my first customer. It was the first necklace I designed and crafted by hand. They are very skilled women who help me shape flowers, assemble the complicated designs, etc. They also help training those who come on a temporary basis. The women that join on temporary basis normally come here and then take the work home. For some of them, this is their main source of income and for others it's a way to earn a little bit extra to their usual jobs. There is an older women who is 60 and she works with me on temporary basis so I give her a relatively easier type of work which she can take home. She enjoys the work and we are happy to have her as part of our group of women working together to make each piece special. I've always been interested in handicrafts. When I saw handmade jewelry, it piqued my interest. Now, I feel happy when I touch the material – I find inspiration to create new works. To create my jewelry, I like to sit in the middle of the materials – colorful stones and pearls in many shapes. My inspiration tells me what kind of design to create or what kind of material to use. Nature is a reference for my designs.
 

Please allow 10 business days for the product to leave our warehouse and to receive tracking information. You should expect to receive this item within 15 business days.