Jewelry and the Golden Triangle

I’ll admit that until this past week, what I knew about the Golden Triangle could be fit into a teaspoon. I knew it was somewhere in Asia and bridged three countries including Thailand and Burma.

But Isadora’s just got in a new collection of beautiful jewelry from this area and so like always I decided to research and correct my ignorance or at least make a dent in it.

Apparently the Golden Triangle is in Asia and it does cross over three countries:Thailand, Burma and Laos. But that area of the world is so much more.


There are six groups of people that populate this area, primarily residing in the hills of Thailand: The Hmong, The Lahu, The Karen, The Lisu, The Akha and the Mien. And they have beautiful jewelry.

(Vintage Akha Metal Disc Necklace)

Much of their jewelry is composed of silver. Because these people live on the cusp of three countries, they believe that silver has a greater fixed value than national currencies (and as we read the news from all parts of the world I have to say this seems like a rather intelligent worldview.) And so whenever they get a chunk of change they use it to buy beautiful silver earrings, bracelets and necklaces, wearing the jewelry in great abundance on special occasions.


And one of their favored jewelry motifs is that of the spiral. To them the spiral represents the being’s permanence over the transience of change. I have to say it has become one of my new, favorite jewelry motifs.

(Vintage Akha Spiral Necklace)