October is fair trade month. During fair trade month you can help raise awareness of fair trade by spreading the word to your friends and family that it is possible to purchase products including fair trade jewelry that you will love, are fairly priced and produced in good working conditions and the artisan is paid a fair price for their work.

Fair trade products including fair trade jewelry ensure that the fair trade jewelry artisan (or other artisan/producer) are paid fairly for their work, are producing the goods such as jewelry in a good working environment, without child labour etc. There are ten basic principles of fair trade that all fair trade organisations must follow ensuring that the fair trade jewelry or other goods are produced ethically.

So this fair trade month help us not only celebrate the beautiful cultural jewelry of the jewelry artisans from around the world but also help these fair trade jewelry artisans achieve the art of self reliance.

The following jewelry is fair trade jewelry:
Fair Trade Jewelry From India
Fair Trade African Jewelry
Nepal Fair Trade Jewelry
Chile Fair Trade Jewelry
Thai Fair Trade Jewelry
Ecuador Fair Trade Jewelry

Happy Fair Trade Month

Another way to support fair trade is to increase awareness by reading about fair trade and fair trade producers. In a previous article the Karen Tribe was highlighted as one such group of fair trade jewelry producers. In this article, another fair trade jewelry artisan group, the Mien will be featured.

The lu Mien are heavily influenced by Chinese culture and are believed to have originated from southern China. At least a million Mien are still living in China and there are also settlements found in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In Thailand the Mien are mostly residing to the north of Chiang Rai or Phavao province.

The lu Mien arrived in Thailand from Laos in during the latter half of the 19th century. There are no sub-tribal groupings within the Mien population, so there is little difference in the customary dress and appearance of the group. A woman’s outfit would include a black turban and a red ruff which has the appearance of a boa even though it is sewn into the front part of the tunic’s collar. The woman’s pants are heavily embroidered and are worn underneath a black or dark blue colored tunic that extends to the ankle. The outfit is tied with a wide sash. Women and children also wear silver neck rings with chains of silver ornaments attached that extend down their back.

For the Mien handmade silver jewelry is more than an adornment, it is also a statement of status and wealth. The silver jewelry worn by a young Mien woman helps a suitor to decide on a prospective bride.
Skilled silversmiths handcraft silver into intricate chains and petite flowers creating exquisite pieces of handmade silver jewelry that a Mien bride will wear in a heavy cascade down her back.

Handmade Silver Necklace - Mien

Many fair trade jewelry etailers support the Mien jewelry artisans and in doing so help maintain the high craft skills of a justly product ethnic culture while also enabling them to earn an income to support their families.

Consider supporting fair trade artisans when you purchase products especially during fair trade month.

Today is a post on the Karen Tribe. Pangea Collection purchases pieces of artisan jewelry from members of the Karen Tribe via a fair trade organisation in Thailand where members of this tribe live.

The Karen Tribe in Thailand are in the northern Lamphun Province and they draw on their ethnic tribal background for their traditional skills and artistry working with silver.

Karen women adorn themselves with handmade silver jewelry for occasions such as New Year festivities – when they know they will be visited by young men from neighbouring villages. The handmade silver jewelry that they display denotes wealth, and in some communities the young men craft artifacts from silver to be worn by their future brides on their wedding day.

Today the majority of men do not actively practice the craft of artisan jewelry making, however women have become silver jewelry artisans in order to generate income.

There is a sophisticated simplicity in the craft designs of the Karen. The ethnic motifs and matte finish of their traditional handmade silver jewelry reflect their affinity with nature as featured in the appealing jewelry skilfully adapted for contemporary lifestyle.

Pangea-Collection.com features a collection of Karen handmade silver jewelry which reflects the highest quality craftsmanship, intricately assembled and finished. Please consider supporting Fair Trade Month and one way you can do that is by treating yourself to a beautiful piece of fair trade jewelry from Thailand.

Karen Artisan Fair Trade Silver Necklace

Opportunity International is one of the world’s largest micro financing organizations. We are very proud to support Opportunity International in their ongoing efforts.

To participate in the fair trade month celebration please add “Fair Trade Jewelry” to the special instructions during checkout.

For those who are not familiar with fair trade or would like to learn more, below is a brief explanation about the principles of fair trade.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership that seeks equity in international trade. It is intended to contribute sustainable development by providing better trading conditions as well as ensuring the rights of marginalized workers, especially in those in developing countries.

Fair Trade organizations make an effort to generate awareness in order to promote change in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fair Trade’s key objectives are to:

- Work with marginalized producers and workers to aid them in achieving self reliance

- Empower producers and workers as stakeholders in their own organizations

- Actively participate in the global marketplace to assist in achieving greater equity in international trade

Wherever possible Pangea Collection is committed to working with Fair Trade organizations and small independent artisans around the world. This business philosophy guides the Pangea Collection buying practices and jewelry artisan selection.

Pangea Collection’s goal is to do our part in enabling jewelry artisans, particularly women and those living in developing markets, to earn an income through the practice of their craft. In our own small way Pangea Collection is working towards supporting the livelihoods of these skilled artisans. In many cases their crafts are the living expression of deep cultural traditions and Pangea Collection, along with the Fair Trade organizations with which we work, believe in the importance of the preservation of these cultures. We also believe that interpretation and the evolution of such crafts are important for their long-term sustainability.

Kenyan Fair Trade Tribal Necklace

Surin Fair Trade Bracelet

Please support fair trade month and consider a piece of fair trade jewelry from one of the following:

Fair Trade Jewelry Collections:
Chilean Fair Trade Jewelry
Ecuadorian Fair Trade Jewelry
Indian Fair Trade Jewelry
Kenyan Fair Trade Jewelry
Thailand Fair Trade Jewelry
Nepalese Fair Trade Jewelry
Ugandan Women’s Cooperative Jewelry