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My favorite pair of Thai silver hoop earrings
Along the border of Burma and northern Thailand, there’s a group of people called the Karen (Kah-REN), made up of many distinct tribes and ethnic groups. While some are indigenous to the area, many are refugees who have fled from Burma.
Tourism is a huge part of the border economy*, and some of the Karen villages are well known for their beautiful oxidized silver jewelry. I first bought these earrings about a decade ago at a little Chiang Mai market stall, and they quickly became my favorite pair.
The design is very distinct. Once, I hopped in a Lyft in Baltimore and when I started talking to my driver, quickly noticed that she was wearing the same pair of Thai silver hoops – we bonded instantly over the shared experience. (This was back when Lyft passengers fist-bumped and sat up front with drivers, so it was easier to scrutinize her earrings).
This summer, I was walking along a beach in Thailand and one must have fallen out of my ear and into the surf when I wasn’t paying attention. I eagerly went back to Chiang Mai hoping to find them, but no luck – silver shop owners all over the city shrugged their shoulders and said while the style had been popular many years ago, they no longer had them in stock. One shop claimed they could special order a pair directly from the village that made them, but they never followed through on the deal.
It was a week later, browsing stalls at Jatujak when I’d all but lost hope, that I found them again. I bought two pairs. Then my Mom bought me two more. I’m never running out of these earrings again.
Earrings | Alah Hill Tribe Silver
Top | Aritzia Wilfred Daley tank
Skirt | Thrift store – similar from Aritzia here
Shoes | Jimmy Choo silver open-toe flats. These not-so-similar, but adorable, Chiara Ferragni Flower Power loafers would also look awesome.
Photo credit: Reed Ulrich
If you’re ever in Chiang Mai or Bangkok and want to pick up a pair for yourself, here’s the business card for Alah Hill Tribe Silver at Jatujak market in Bangkok.
*“Karen” is often used to synonymously describe the Padaung, colloquially, “the long neck tribe,” a group of people where women visually elongate their necks with brass rings (sadly, the practice these days has seemingly little to do with culture and more to do with exploitation for tourism).
Of course, it’s also hard to find out with any accuracy how fairly artisans are paid for the products they produce. I encourage tourists to try to buy directly from artisans when possible.
