Silver Pendants support jewelry designers all over the world. As designers we share similar joys and challenges. Carmen Rosa Gamio Alvarez is a jeweler in Peru who recently received a microloan from Nina Designs. Reading her bio, I was struck by how much all of us have in common as jewelry designers, business women and moms.
Alvarez discovered her love of art early. “When I was a little girl, I liked to draw, and today I have a lot of fun designing and creating jewelry. I think it awoke the latent child artist in me.”
She adores her job. “The silversmith’s art runs through my veins and I love it…For me, my art is a fusion of fantasy and reality.”
She struggles with the high price of silver. “The rising price of silver is seriously affecting my work.”
And she relishes being a Mom. “Motherhood is greatest challenge in life and my greatest satisfaction.”
Sound familiar anyone?
Silver Charms from Thailand and Bali sold in the USA support the Asian silversmiths who make them, and the US designers who incorporate them into their own jewelry. Through our Micro-loan program, they also support creative endeavors in Africa. Evelyn Kafui Ahianyo is a mask carver in Ghana who recently received a loan from us. She designs the masks one by one and decorates them with paint, recycled glass, beads, brass and other materials.
“I sit and draw the mask creatively, and come up with the colors that will make it stand out. I’m also good at observing nature and this comes to bear when I have to sit and come up with designs after the mask has been carved. Although my masks have cultural references, I try to enhance the looks. In Ghana, mask are seen to have spiritual beliefs attached to them, so most people wouldn’t like to even hold them. But with the new coloring and designs, people are now comfortable with masks and are ready to learn more about the history associated with them.”
Ahianyo may not realize it but she has a lot in common with mask carvers in Bali who have their own village, Mas. I used to love sitting with friends while they painted their masks with intricate designs. I tried a few myself and made a total mess of it!
Ahianyo’s masks are for sale at Novica.
Silver Pendants are a main course here at Nina Designs but we also serve up Microloans. We believe strongly in supporting women artisans all over the world by helping them expand their businesses. For this endeavor, we have partnered with Novica to identify qualified artists and administer the loans. They also provide a thriving global marketplace where the artists sell their work.
Nyoman Nadri creates robes, bed covers, pillowcases, sarongs and shawls in Bali, Indonesia. She specializes in Batik, a resist dying technique that uses wax to create intricate designs. In doing her work, Nadri is inspired by people’s needs. Her customers come to her and request the kind of motifs they desire, and bed cover or sarong sizes they need. Selling through Novica has given her access to a larger market and allowed her to hire more women to work with her.
“Novica has had a positive impact on my family, as well as with the families of the women working with me. It means that we can have hope. We make the batik robes and we know that by selling them through Novica we can have a steady income to provide for our families”
Nadri will use her loan to stock up on white textiles and dyes for her batik work.
Batik Robe
Silver Charms are often worn for luck. In this case, sales of Nina Designs silver charms brought luck to a talented silversmith in the Andes who received funding in 2010 through our microfinance program. Giuliana Valz-Gen creates jewelry designs that deal with the richness of nature. ” My motivation comes from a desire to complement female beauty with my designs, which are infused with Peruvian artistry. What really counts is innovation. My designs speak of tradition yet they are modern and feature the harmony between metal, pearls and gemstones.”
Giuliana faces challenges many of us find familiar. “I am barely managing to cover my costs because these days the price of silver and gold seems to be going up uncontrollably. I set the price for a piece but by the time I’ve finished it, it turns out that initial price doesn’t cover my costs. It also means that the money I counted on to buy more silver and gold is not enough anymore. The loan would help me secure a good stock of silver and gold so I could carry on working calmly, without fearing a sudden change in the price of silver and gold, and be able to increase my production. It would also mean I would have the freedom to develop new designs, maintain the quality of my work, and still be able to cover my costs.”
Giuliana's Ring
Silver Pendant Sales at Nina Designs help support artisans worldwide. We believe that there is a special circle threading its way around the world from the sketches drawn in our office by women, to the women involved in crafting our products in Asia and back through the women jewelry designers who use our silver charms and silver pendants. In honor of this circle, we have established a microloan fund to help women artisans in developing countries foster and grow their businesses.
Cristin Carolin creates beautiful robes from handwoven ikat fabric in Bali. This special fabric gets its distinctive patterns through a process similar to tie-dye wherein the thread is wrapped in bundles, knotted and resist dyed before weaving. The knots must be placed with precision and the loom threaded just right for the correct pattern to emerge.
“I was born in Bali in 1973. What I do now is closely related to my experiences as a teenager. A family near my house made homespun clothes, and I was very impressed by the way they would spin cotton using traditional techniques. I used to sit there for hours just to watch how they worked. I was told that a garment company was a good place to start and I could work and learn how to weave and make dresses. So I went to the place and worked there for almost two years. I learned enough to make me feel confident about starting on my own. I set up a workshop and now, several years later, there are four other people working with me. My main product line features hand-woven ikat clothes. I plan to invest the loan money in materials so I can also develop new designs.”
Ikat Robe
Every Silver Charm counts! Even in this tough economy, it is important to stand by our commitments to help make the world a better place. With that in mind, we recently increased out microloan fund from $5,000 to $10,000. These loans are administered by Novica and have 0% interest. The interest rate is crucial because access to capital in developing countries is very difficult, especially for women, and rates can run up to 30% A MONTH! Since 100% of our 2010 loans were paid back, we were able to make loans to 10 new women artisans, many of them silversmiths in Bali.
Most of us can relate to this quote from Kenari, “The instability in the price of silver is really affecting me as an artisan. Silver is becoming so expensive that it is difficult for me to afford enough to keep a stock. I plan to use the loan to buy as much silver as possible to be able to continue doing my craft. I am constantly worrying about the rising cost of silver and whether or not I’ll be able to keep a strong stock that would enable us to replenish and meet orders.”
Kenari was born in 1979 in Celuk, a village famous for its gold and silversmiths. All of her family members work in silver. From the time she was very young, Kenari started learning the process of crafting silver jewelry such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and much more. Her days were filled by assisting her uncle in his silver workshop.
In 2003, Kenari married an artist from Gianyar. Balinese women who marry live with the husband’s family and so did she. Even after moving away from the silverwork environment, Kenari was still obsessed with crafting jewelry. Fortunately, her husband gives her great support. While working in an art shop, Kenari is active in designing silver jewelry. She is constantly busy developing new designs.
Kenari’s jewelry is for sale at Novica.
Earrings by Kenari
Silver Pendant sales at Nina Designs allowed us to donate to Namaste Direct, a non-profit organization working to alleviate poverty in rural communities in southern Mexico and Guatemala. They provide women entrepreneurs with micro credit loans as well as business training to enhance their chances for success. The training focuses on business development and financial literacy. Each woman works with a personal business adviser for two years. Our contribution of $500 will provide a loan and training for one woman for an entire year. It has been demonstrated that as a woman’s income rises, she typically invests in nutrition, education, housing and health care for her family. We think this is a fabulous investment. Thank you for your purchases of silver pendants and jewelry making supplies. You helped us assist Namaste Direct in their work to alleviate poverty! 
Silver Jewelry Findings formed the foundation of Nina Designs, but over the past 25 years we have expanded into jewelry making supplies from silk cord to vermeil style beads and charms. Along the way, we have been careful to practice Fair Trade and to give back through Philanthropy. In our newest venture, we have partnered with NOVICA to fund Microloans for women artisans in developing countries.
Meet Asunta Pelaez from Peru. “I create many kinds of beautiful mirrors, coasters, boxes and trays.” Palaez plans to use her loan to purchase a compressor, tools and materials.
Asunta Plaez, Peru
“I follow a meticulous process, carefully shaping the wood to give it a pleasing form. Later, for my mirrors, I cut the glass and outline my intended design on the surface with India ink. Next, I fill the outline with beautiful Cajamarca patterns using paints and gilt. To finish, I glue the glass to the wood and apply a rich golden paint to the borders of the frame. This whole process demands incredible patience and attention to detail.
“My designs are inspired by nature, and by typical scenes from my town and region. I feel very proud of the works that I create, and I look forward to sharing them with more and more people around the world.”
“I feel as if an angel descended on our workshop. We Peruvian artisans are humble people and we give our utmost to get ahead. Our hearts go in every piece we craft with our hands.”
Silver Pendants are beautiful and they can change a life! Sales from our silver jewelry making supplies helped fund a micro loan to Nyoman Sukartini, who I introduced in an earlier blog post. Leah and I went to visit her this week to learn more about her story and how she used the loan. We drove to one of the most beautiful areas in Bali where we were met by the vibrant and gracious Nyoman and her friendly family. As we sat in her family compound enjoying fresh coconuts and fried bananas, Nyoman explained that she used the loan to get back on her feet after being hospitalized for six months with a serious illness. In a twist that women in any culture could relate to, she explained that her husband had left her for another woman, forcing her to return to her parents’ home. She is very grateful to have her silver business as a means of financial support.
After the refreshments, we toured the area in a “Box Car” and visited a sacred spring flanked by an enormous banyan tree. Before we left, Nyoman introduced us to the women silversmiths working on her designs and gave us each a pair of delicate citrine earrings. Her jewelry is available for sale through NOVICA.
I love Nyoman because she makes me look tall!
Jewelry Making Supplies are our business at Nina Designs but our mission includes supporting artisans in our own community as well as abroad. In 2010 we established a microloan fund to assist women artists in developing countries. Through NOVICA, we have lent to women in four countries, including Ernestina Oppong Asante who creates traditional drums in Ghana. She plans to use her loan to purchase raw materials, a drill machine, jigsaw and sand paper machine.
“I was born in the Eastern region of Ghana on July 23, 1968, and had my early education there. I trained in dressmaking but on completion of the course, I realized that the trade would not do well in my town. I therefore decided to learn a popular trade like carving. I trained under one Kwame Duah and within three years I had perfected the skill and was developing woodcarvings on my own. Since 1995, I have been operating a workshop of my own with four people working under me. Fortunately, my husband David Assante also trained as a carver and so we combine our skills to design and carve the drums with perfection.”
“I love making drums. I believe that there are very bright business prospects for the African traditional drum. Though carving has long been regarded as the preserve of men, I am glad that I have been able not only to infiltrate but to also make an impact on the trade. For the years that I have been in this business, I have never had any regrets whatsoever. It is my fervent hope to carve more interesting drums for you to enjoy.”
