LONG SILK NECKLACE WITH IKAT CIRCLES 1.8m Khmer Cambodian

Long Silk Necklace with Circles

This lovely long silk necklace is made up from silk covered beads and silk covered flat circles. The larger of the circles are made using ikat woven silk.

Cambodia's golden silk is spun from the cocoons of golden silkworms, rather than the white ones found elsewhere in the world. Our silk is washable, souple, strong, soft and shiny. It is cool on a hot day and warm during the cold season, lightweight and pleasant to wear.

Measured 1.8m in length and can be worn in 3 layers and I easily fitted 4.

Handmade silk and necklace.

Fair Trade, Eco-friendly, Sustainable.

Washing instructions for silk 

1. Place the garment in cold water with a gentle detergent, as silk is like hair, a gentle shampoo will also do the trick.

2. Give it a stir, and let it sit for just a few minutes. Silk releases dirt quickly, so the process doesn't take long.

3. Next, drain the soapy mix and rinse with cool, running water.

4. Pat off excess water with a towel and allow to dry before putting away.

Our Cambodian Khmer Ikat

The term ikat refers to a textile design process where the threads are tie-dyed before being woven together to create beautiful patterns in the woven material.

There are 3 different ways to make ikat material, warp, weft and double. Khmer ikat is made from weft ikat, where only the weft threads are dyed to form the material’s pattern.

Before the fabric is woven, bundles of thread are tightly bound into the required design.  These threads are then dyed before being used in the weaving process.

During the weaving the weft threads are adjusted and realigned to ensure the pattern is seen.

Our Amazing Cambodian Artisans

We have the most beautiful cotton, kapok and silk products from Cambodia. These products are all made by hand by artisans affected by HIV Aids or landmine injuries and their families.

They are often ostracized in the cities and left to beg from tourists. Sadly, I saw this first hand on my visit to Cambodia.  This forces them to move to more remote areas.

I found these products in an Artisan’s Market in Siem Reap in a small stall selling to tourists and this is where my journey with these products started.

The artisans are from 5 different villages in 5 different proveniences of Cambodia, each one providing different products. Some only doing bags, some jewellery, others providing raw and fine silk, scarves and shawls, and blankets.