Thailand has always been the South East Asian hub of Jewelry Manufacturing and is undoubtedly one of the best destinations for finding quality jewelry. Southeast Asia is also one of the best sources of raw gemstones like rubies and sapphires, which stimulates domestic demand while acting as a source for the international market. In 2019, Thailand produced over 50,000 metric tons of silver for foreign markets. Learn more about Jewelry Craftsmanship in Thailand.
Brilliant Jewelry Craftsmanship in Thailand
Thailand is the largest exporter of silver in the world, contributing 23% of the world’s market share, with a history of supplying silver to the world for the last 50 years.
Thai History with Art and Craftsmanship
Thailand also has a long and rich history in art and art decoration. You can see this from temples, artworks, older styled vehicles, and other forms of architecture. Craftsmanship and the delicacy required with hand carving skills and/or artistic talent. The Thai art form is detailed and intricate. This coincides with jewelry pieces very well together as the jewelry is detailed and intricate and requires a high level of skill in tiny areas to form detailed shapes, patterns, or curves.
The use of Silver and Gold is predominant in Thai Culture. Silver and Gold Leaf are used to cover Buddha’s and Temple Walls, Ceilings and are used regularly as accents in art detail. The use of silverware was widely in demand during the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods. China, India, Persia, and Portugal originally influenced silverware working techniques. While silver items were limited to Royal uses and families of the nobility. Nowadays, highly skilled Thai silversmiths have created sophisticated crafted unique Thai silverware, transforming techniques to beautiful Silver Jewelry and Gold Jewelry, known as the exquisite craftsmanship of Southeast Asia.
Jewelry-making as a field of knowledge started in the Royal Palace and has been handed down from one generation to the next for the last 200 years. Nowadays, gemological schools and craftsman schools are open to continuing this knowledge and tradition. The average revenue of the gem and jewelry industry in Thailand is nearly US$ 10 Billion, and the industry’s supply chain creates work for more than 1 million employees.
Thailand and its Jewelry History with Gold
Thai Gold goes back thousands of years. There were extensive gold mines in Thailand in previous years. Siam, Thai’s original name, means ‘gold’ in Sanskrit; the Indians called it Suvannabhumi (Land of Gold), and the Chinse Jin Lin (Peninsula of Gold). The Gold trade was one of the first forms of trade that gave Thailand first contact with the outside world.
Many Buddha images in Thailand are made of gold and gold leaf. It is stuck onto Buddha images as part of religious rituals. The Ayutthaya period was the high point of Thai gold jewelry design. Nicholas Gervais, a French Jesuit missionary was of the opinion that “Siamese goldsmiths are scarcely less skilled than ours. They make thousands of little gold and silver ornaments, which are the most elegant objects in the world. Nobody can damascene more delicately than they. They use very little solder, they are so skilled at binding together and setting the pieces that it is difficult to see the joints.”
At Royi Sal We Work with Craftsmen
We understand the skills that are learned throughout generations in the Thai culture when it comes to intricacy, detail, and understanding of the metals (Gold and Silver) involved to create beautiful Jewelry. We utilize and support those skillsets to better service our clients. A simple piece may not be that simple and simplicity takes care and high skill levels to achieve. We utilize both hand-crafted techniques with machinery and technology to better improve production time and quality. We also utilize machinery and technology to better help improve workers’ craftsmanship abilities.
Thai Silver Jewelry is noted for its high silver content, its purity ranging between 95% – 99.9%. Whereat Royi Sal All our Silver Jewelry meet the grade of 92.5 Sterling Silver at a world standard. We keep standards throughout and our jewelry has been tested by The US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)-Accredited Laboratories which meet and exceed all US CPSIA Children ASTM F2923-20, Children’s Testing US Standard.
Clients come to us for our continued relationship in manufacturing using expert craftsmen, the use of technology to improve efficiency and quality in production, and the standards we continue to strive to keep in the Jewelry products we produce.
P.S. Royi Sal Jewelry, as a decades-long leader in silver jewelry design and manufacturing, invites you to download our latest magazine here and profit from the exceptional jewelry designs at affordable prices you will find in the magazine. Click here to download it now.
Leave a Reply