Fair trade is a set of internationally recognized business principles which empower women, ethnic minorities and other marginalized people, to flourish and thrive in their work and to develop economic independence.  One of the driving forces behind our business is to give our artisans and bead-workers, a sustainable means of income by paying above minimum wages, allowing them to expand their business relationship with us as well as with other clients, and to grow both economically and creatively.  We aim to create transparent relationships with artisans and vendors alike and have been using the same group of artisans and suppliers for more than ten years now.  All are family run businesses and we enjoy being able to see them thrive.

Fair trade also means we are concerned with the welfare of all those affiliated with our company.  We support safe and clean working conditions, even in cottage industry crafts.  We encourage education and learning for younger generations and wellness exams. Likewise, no child labor is used to create these products.  Women and men are paid the same wages, and work is evenly distributed. We are affiliated with several women owned businesses and are part of the global movement for women supporting women.

No chemicals or bio-hazards are created by making these products and we encourage all our artisans to consider any possible environmental impact related to their work. Unlike other metals, silver creates no fumes when melted, comes from the earth and has no impact on the environment. Items are handmade, using traditional methods of craftsmanship and without machinery.

Finally, and having lived in Asia for an extended period of time, it’s important to Anantara to respect the cultural identity associated with our product.  We believe this is reflected in designs we create, which incorporate ethnic and tribal motifs and yet are re-imagined for contemporary wear, always harkening back to the origins and character of the product. 

Thank you for being part of this global initiative! We hope you enjoy shopping our jewelry collection.

Women Supporting Women

Meet a few of the women who help make Anantara a success

Collecting goods from the silversmiths
Can you guess who the boss is in this photo? Each week, the silversmiths make a trip in to town to drop off goods completed, get paid, and collect silver granules for the coming week's projects. Jitlada, the shop owner pictured to the right, makes a record of all the transactions so she can complete payments and keep track of inventory.

Who REALLY runs the show
Without Weesara, our Thai Operations Manager, we could never even run the business. For ten years now, she has done a fantastic job and works closely with all our vendors. She's also a driving force behind much of our design work, helping to select all the raw materials that go in to each beaded piece. Did you get the ring sizes you wanted? That's thanks to her, she checks every single item before it leaves Thailand.

Who does the bead work?
Well, it's Naparat and her sisters! They've built up quite a business for themselves and have also put their relatives to work helping out. So, it's really a family affair with these ladies. They are super meticulous and do a great job executing our designs.