| Namaste!
My name is Mike McGinnis, president of Whirled Planet. We are
a small wholesale silver jewelry and gift company located on
the Garden Island of Kauai, in Hawaii, USA. We have been relying
on wholesale silver jewelry and gift imports from India, Thailand
and China since 1996, and have seen our company grow and prosper.
Much of this prosperity has been due to our strong relationships
with reliable wholesale silver jewelry and wholesale gift suppliers.
Here are some images that pay homage to the people who have
made this wonderful journey possible. |
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The
Whirled Planet Crew on Halloween. Kim, Courtney, Mike and
daughter Zoë. Not shown are Sonja and Mike's other daughter
Asha.
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Varsha-ji
is happy to show her selection of stones. Her family supplies
us with most of our finished jewelry from India.
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Hanks
of stone beads await the next step of their journey toward becoming
a prized piece of jewelry. |
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A
street vendor plies his wares in a stunning rainbow of semi-precious
stones. The selection of stones can be overwhelming! |
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In
Johari Bazar, in the Pink City of Jaipur, the pulse of the city
can be felt in the intense negotiations of these stone merchants
selling bindles of unset gems. |
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A
Johari Bazar sidewalk with the casually dressed stone merchants.
Each one has bindles of stones to sell. |
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Unless
you know what to look for, you might pass right on by this center
of semi-precious stone merchantry. |
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Once
the stones have been purchased, they must be sorted according
to size and color. |
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Silver
is purchased in large bars, then smelted and repoured into smaller,
more manageable pieces for fabrication. |
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More
and more, you see technology's impact in Indian jewelry making.
Here, a worker sorts wax ring molds. Casting allows for more
control over the final product. |
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Another
trend is that of the "factory" environment. Typiucally,
workers did much of the jewelry making process from their own
home. |
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Making
bezel settings for pendants. This sort of work is still done
all by hand, so skill and artistry are required in equal measure. |
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Fiery
Rainbow Moonstone cabochons set in silver wire bezel. These
pieces are destined to become a stunning pendant eventually
sold in the US.
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The
advantage of a factory setting for the workers is better working
conditions. Ultimately, the customer benefits from a higher
quality product. |
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Each
piece of jewelry goes through many steps, and is touched by
many hands before being "finished."
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Radha
is one of the designers at our main textile supplier. She
seems to have an endless supply of ideas!
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Bolts
of fabric are laid out by hand for cutting.
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One
of the many "sari warehouses" we visit to sort through
used sari collections. It's hot, dusty work. |
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The
sewing staff is not just skillful, but quick also. Once they
get in a groove, their movements flow in a graceful dance
of thread and fabric.
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One
of the thousands of designs available. There is a remarkable
array of products available, and our job is to sort through
and find the best of the best.
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Bangle
store in Jaipur. The department store is non-existent in most
of India. Small merchants like these gentlemen specialize
in a product and carry and endless variety of items within
the category.
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Namaste
means "the God light in me recognizes the God light in
you." It is a common greeting in India.
Thank
you for visiting with us!
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