PRESS RELEASE: JEWELLERY LABEL LAUNCHES NEW COLLECTION IN BRONZE Singapore, May 2011 – With 2011 declared by the United Nations (UN) as the International Year of Forests, the label dedicated an entire collection to trees, one of the mainstays of the forest. The artisanal "sustainable luxury" label is launching the collection in bronze, sterling silver and gold vermeil woven with natural gemstones. Said principal designer Yilin Choo, “We are pushing the definitional envelope by weaving in bronze together with traditional precious metals of silver and gold. Bronze has a wonderful antique lustre that imparts a glorious fire to the gemstones' natural colours." A reflection of organic asymmetry in Nature, the pieces twist and writhe like the object of their inspirations: leaves, roots, vines, bark and blossoms. Continuing the jewellery label's commitment to sustainability and social outreach, the company will sponsor a baby tree through World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Plant-A-Baby-Tree campaign for every client who makes a purchase through them. Said Yilin, “We hope to illustrate that reforestation is not something that’s merely important to rural folk or hard-core conservationists. Rather, it is something that can be relevant and fun to anyone; our clients can track 'their own baby tree' on Google Earth.” "In working with non-profit organisations such as WWF, we are raising awareness about important global issues such as forest conservation. Beauty and sustainability can go hand in hand. Jewellery, being such a personal item, it is a powerful and visual reminder of the natural world's beauty and the importance of preserving our heritage of biodiversity," finished Kevin Ong, assistant designer. The official video of the International Year of Forests, produced by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, can be viewed at www.offorestsandmen.org. Forest imagery onsite is courtesy of GoodPlanet.

Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery is heartened to witness that the silversmith artisans have successfully attained a level of self-sufficiency and therefore need no external development aid.

In contrast, their Karen counterparts in the Mae Hong Son region are in a different situation. The unforgiving environmental climate has not allowed them to be sustainable through subsistence agriculture, let alone commercial agriculture in order to generate funds for their daily living like their children’s schooling. Separately, their lack of commercial skills as well as the poor infrastructure puts them in a position where generating their own wealth is a near impossibility.

Yilin had the privilege of visiting these villages in January of 2009, where she witnessed firsthand how a Karen man was in charge of administrating aid under the auspices of the Karen Hilltribes Trust, a transparently and efficiently run charity. Salahae and team work to sustain the villages through providing access to education and the water irrigation systems, as well as basic amenities like blankets, latrines and rice.

Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery is working with the Karen Hilltribes Trust to build a better future for these Karen people. The label is selling its jewellery cleaning kit where 100% of its proceeds will be donated to the charity. Please contact us at info@chooyilin.com to find out how to purchase it.

If you would like to learn more about the charity, please visit www.karenhilltribes.org.uk