ARTISAN HANDCRAFT
The Art of Silversmithing & Jewelry Making
We work closely with some of the finest jewelers in Nepal to create an exceptional line of jewelry. All our jewelry is handcrafted using sterling silver, white metal, brass and beads, and includes earrings, rings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces. We take great pride in our fantastic selection of both modern and traditional styles and our exquisite selection of stones, which include amethyst, rainbow moonstone, lapis, peridot, turquoise and much more. Our customers appreciate our attention to detail when selecting the perfect combination of styles, prices and stones for their store.
The Jewelers of Nepal
Jewelry making is a family tradition in Nepal and is passed down from father to son. One family we have been associated with for over two decades works communally, pooling their resources, and training the younger family members to carry on the tradition. The eldest brother of this business has repeatedly commented on how their relationship with fair trade businesses, like Ganesh Himal over the years has helped them to be successful. Young adults, who were leaving this traditional work, are returning because the average wage for skilled jewelers is now better than that of many other jobs, affording them a secure and comfortable future.
Other jewelry artists are non-traditional jewelers who have apprenticed and become master jewelers. Now they reach out and teach others from poor villages so they too can earn an income vital to their families. Yet another jewelry workshop we work with employs both high and low caste jewelers-enticing them to put aside their cultural differences in exchange for good wages and working conditions.
Meet the Jewellers
Nisne
Prabin Tamrakar is a traditional jeweler from the Newari culture. Many of the jewelers that he works with he has personally trained in the traditional craft via apprenticeships. Prabin is able to provide a lot of work for these jewelers and they make good money while continuing a traditional skill. One such example of Prabin’s apprenticeship program benefiting the larger community, is Dil Bahadur Chani. Dil Bahadur is from a very low caste and comes from a very poor village in Nepal. In 1990, desperate for work, he came to Kathmandu and luckily found a two year apprenticeship with a traditional jeweler. After the apprenticeship he started working on his own.
Now, Dil Bahadur is a master jeweler intent on teaching the next generation of jewelry apprentices from his village. Dil Bahadur brought boys, 15 and older, from his village to Kathmandu and taught them a valuable income producing skill while at the same time sending them to school to complete their education. Unfortunately, if these boys remained in their village, most of them would have been forcibly conscripted into the violent civil war that brutalized Nepal from 1996 to 2006. These non-traditional jewelers and their apprentices are making good incomes that are vital to their families and their village.
Shakyamuni Silver Star
The Shakya family has been creating beautiful jewelry throughout Nepal, India and Tibet for generations. Now all sons live and work in their ancestral home in the Kathmandu Valley. As with previous generations, the father taught his sons traditional jewelry making skills. Recognizing that producing jewelry only for retailers provided limited economic opportunities, he also trained one son in business. In 1977 the sons opened their own shop. At this time, they produced all the jewelry themselves. However, as the business grew, they invited other Buddhist Newari families to work with them. Fourteen families now have a consistent income as a result of their involvement. Tirtha, the youngest son, still does all of the design and finish work and setting of stones. He also trains others in design interpretation and production techniques. The Shakya family has pooled their resources and worked together. After years of hard work, their business is quite successful. However, like many artisans they have been concerned that the younger generation will leave their traditional trade. Fortunately, as the average wage for skilled jewelers is now higher than that of many other jobs, young educated Newaris are beginning to return to jewelry making. Now Tej’s son, Shrawan, has taken over the business from his father and with that the Shakya family is confident that their traditional skills will be passed on to the next generation.
Now, Dil Bahadur is a master jeweler intent on teaching the next generation of jewelry apprentices from his village. Dil Bahadur brought boys, 15 and older, from his village to Kathmandu and taught them a valuable income producing skill while at the same time sending them to school to complete their education. Unfortunately, if these boys remained in their village, most of them would have been forcibly conscripted into the violent civil war that brutalized Nepal from 1996 to 2006. These non-traditional jewelers and their apprentices are making good incomes that are vital to their families and their village.
