Hilltribe Silver Jewelry

Hill tribe silver is higher in silver content than sterling, which is 92.5% silver. That gives it a softer, whiter shine. Karen hill tribe silversmiths work it by hand: stamping patterns, coiling wire, hammering texture into traditional forms.

These pieces are made in Thailand and Laos. Silver this pure is a little softer than sterling, so store each piece on its own to keep it from scratching.

What makes it different

Hill tribe silver is worked by Karen silversmiths in the highlands of northern Thailand and neighboring Laos. The silver is 95 to 99% pure, against 92.5% for sterling, which gives it a whiter, softer shine and lets it be stamped and coiled by hand into forms that harder alloys resist. The patterns are traditional: fish scales, spirals, stamped seeds and leaves.

Pieces run from $68 to $350. Each listing gives the exact purity and whether the piece was made in Thailand or Laos.