Artisans

Our Beginnings: 3 Strands Shop & The Red Seed

The original red seed came from the Sandalwood tree, native to Cambodia. Sandalwood trees produce colorless pods that eventually dry up and fall to the ground. But inside these dried pods are beautiful, glossy, red seeds. To our artisans, the red seeds represent the beauty inside of each of us. Our 3 Strands and designated Noble Venture Collections feature products with a red bead or red mark symbolizing our story.

Cambodia

In 2011, 3 Strands Shop was founded to work alongside human trafficking survivors and artisans in Cambodia through job training and employment opportunities. Noble Venture/3 Strands Shop helps to provide sustainable jobs for survivors through our partner organization, providing hope, honor and a path toward independence. In addition to providing job opportunities for survivors, through the sale of every product, funds are raised to help empower, equip and employ individuals with a future that is independent, sustainable and full of hope.

Nepal

Nepalese artisans are the creators of our beautiful glass-beaded bracelets, colored by rich cultural heritage. When 3 Strands Shop and Noble Venture first started our work with our Nepal artisans, financial sustainability was challenging for women, families and their communities. The Nepalese artisans you support through your product purchase help provide for their families and most importantly, offer empowerment in their communities. Through sustainable employment, these artisans have pride, prestige and hope for a future that comes with earning a livable wage, and independence.

Guatemala

Artisans from this region create a variety of traditional, handmade Guatemalan crafts, including handbags, accessories, tableware, and home collections, while adhering to Fair Trade practices. Creating opportunities for Guatemalan artisans helps to generate sustainable and viable livelihoods through their craft. New opportunities and ongoing training support provide stability and the chance to earn a livable wage.

Haiti

Our artisan partners in Haiti create beautiful, handcrafted products out of discarded and seemingly unusable materials including metal, cardboard, aluminum, dirt and paper. They breathe beauty back into discarded items that were once considered of no value, just as they build their lives away from exploitation.

The mantra of our Haitian artisans is “many hands make the load light,” and they believe that when the designers, artisans, and consumers work together we can help lighten each other’s load and bring about lasting positive impact.

United States

In 2023 we are excited to announce a new partnership with top Seattle Designer Karen Hartman of Astor & Orion to create a solid design process and products that are not only beautiful, sustainable and ethically sourced, but that benefit the artisan partners and nonprofits we support.

Together we are putting these ideas into practice by creating and providing a limited batch of designs encompassing the following key values:

Safe Materials - We design our jewelry using materials that are safe for our customers, workers and the planet. 

Sustainable Design - We use recycled materials and materials made in America when we design and create our products so they can be easily recycled again with no extra processing.

Ethical Manufacturing - Our design center shares our belief in the importance of protecting the dignity and rights of their workers and the local environment.
 

Initially launched in 2023, Karen will work alongside us and our artisan partners to build beautiful, trending and sustainable products as well as kinship/respectful connections across the world.