This ear ornament represents a fraction of the wide repertoire of silver jewellery made, worn and exchanged by highland communities in northern Thailand. It is made of sheet silver that was soldered to produce a faceted tube with flattened ends. The whole piece was inserted through an enlarged hole in the earlobe. Silver was valued more highly than gold by many highland communities. Silver jewellery was a way of investing a family’s wealth to be passed down as heirlooms. It was also believed to have protective properties. Today, where security maybe a problem, silver is kept locked away while aluminium is used as a substitute.
