Brian and I set everything up and it looked beautiful. The setting was perfect for lustrous pearls, sparkling gemstones and iridescent silks. I had a terrific time chatting with all those who attended and especially loved showing off the incredible silks which came all the way from Cambodia.

I find it so rewarding, seeing women put on one of my pieces, then look at their reflection in the mirror and see a big smile spread across their face. Everyone I spoke to was genuinely interested in One Pearl and how it got its start. I always think I will tire of telling of its origins, but once I begin the story, my excitement and passion for One Pearl are stirred up all over again.

Brian and I both commented on how nice everyone was and what a great time was had by all. We appreciate the opportunity this school gave us and thank them for doing so.

I am so excited to be getting a huge shipment of beautiful silks today from Phnom Phen, Cambodia. To me, opening a 40 pound box bursting with hundreds of pieces of incredible silk is like opening a treasure chest full of jewels. The colors are rich, full and iridescent.  The shimmering beauty of this silk boggles my mind, having seen firsthand where it is spun, dyed, woven and sewn.

For me, the sight of this silk brings to mind the many women who train for years and work so hard to produce it. Because of their work producing silk through a woman’s foundation in Cambodia, these women are able to send their children to school, provide them with medical and dental treatment and earn a fair living. I love selling this beautiful silk (in the form of embroidered school ties for the guys and scarves for the girls.) The satisfaction that I personally receive from being able to support this foundation, these women and their children through selling their silk is far more than anything I have ever experienced.

That’s why I am excited today. This shipment will support many families for many months. I hope to continue to sell more and more for them.  Take a look at  some of these colors…

Here the Director of the Global Studies Program describes some of the exciting activities and accomplishments of this summer’s service learning trip to Cambodia.

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“We returned from Watkinson’s fifth service-trip on July 7. As our relationships in Poum Knia and around Kampot deepen, some of our work remains similar but there are also significant shifts, or additions, in what we do each year.

Each of the last two years, we have begun our trip with a little longer stay in Phnom Penh, as a way to help the kids acclimate to the new environment, both the heat and culture. At your recommendation, in order to get a sense of the poverty and history we read and talk about, in both 2008 and 2009, we traveled to Steung Meanchey, the Phnom Penh dump. It is unbelievable to see the families who live on and around the garbage, including, we found, approximately 1200 children. While we spend many weeks before our trip studying the culture, history and language of Cambodia, there is nothing that prepares us for the reality of this aspect of life in Southeast Asia, so different from what each of the travelers knows from their experience growing up in the United States. After a brief respite at our guest house, we visit Toul Sleng for a glimpse of the recent history that forms part of the context for our work in Cambodia.

This year we continued working with the deaf and disabled community in Kampot through Epic Arts where our kids taught and learned sign language while working on storytelling through mime activities. In addition we were able to begin working with a housing rights group, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut (STT). We helped tear down a deteriorating thatch house and build a new home for the family of four in the village of Chumkriel outside Kampot.

As always, we spent much of our time around Siem Reap, working with Man Men’s village. We were excited to see and hear about the results of our efforts around health in the village. We had helped install four water filters around the village and started a health education program that included three generations of women from Poum Knia learning about daily health care and diet. The results of these initiatives were quickly apparent in the new vegetable garden and stories of improving health in all generations. This was perhaps best summarized by Man Men in response to our question about how these changes affected life in the village. Grinning, he commented on the dramatic change in energy saying, “I can no longer take naps in the afternoon because of the sounds of all the children playing.” While there we spoke further with Angkor Children’s Hospital about on-going health education during this next year. They are excited about continuing the work we started last year with the women in the village.

This summer we also continued tutoring English, learning Khmer, and started building a second latrine and wash house in the village. During our annual conversation about the future, we talked together about expanding the music classes offered by incorporating a nearby village, Poum Chrieung, into the effort to preserve traditional wedding music and instrument-making. We also discussed other longer-term possibilities around education, including the idea of building a school for the larger area that could become a resource beyond the typical public education through the 6thor 8th grade. Man Men’s openness and encouragement of innovation has been inspiring to us as we continue to learn about the country and search for more ways to learn from, and be of help to, these resilient people.

The combination of the two early experiences in Cambodia, at Steung Meanchey and Toul Sleng, together with the remarkable friendships developed with the people in Kampot, Chumkriel, and Poum Knia is the real gift of the program you have helped establish over these last six years. In many ways the contrast between the history and poverty we witness and the happiness and openness of the people we work with is unfathomable. Experiencing Cambodia, working with the people, forming friendships in a place that appears so different, profoundly affects each of us, instilling a greater appreciation for what we each have and shifting the way we see our own lives in relation to the rest of the world.

It does get harder to leave Cambodia each year and, of course, we are already planning our return next summer. We are planning our trip around the Moahosrop that will take place in Phnom Penh in early August. We also have a filmmaker who graduated years ago from Watkinson, before these trips, who is interested in making a documentary of what we are doing in Cambodia. Part of the work this year with the travelers will be around raising money for this project as well as the continuing service work we do in Cambodia.

It’s hard to adequately express the gratefulness I feel because of the opportunities you help provide for these young people.”

One Pearl’s bridal pieces are that much more special, because the contrasting pearl is not only a symbol of a bride’s uniqueness, but of One Pearl’s charitable mission. What better way to celebrate one’s good fortune on your wedding day than with beautiful pearls that contribute to the greater good?

One Pearl’s Wedding Jewelry Collection

One pearl has over 40 pieces in our Wedding Jewelry collection. Over 20 of them are under $100. We can customize pieces as well.

The 70” white baroque or white potato pearl strand can be worn many ways, depending upon the style of your dress. If you are wearing a strapless gown, wearing it as a bracelet will look so very elegant. If you change gowns for your reception, you could still wear it, this time as a choker perhaps. The versatility of this piece is what makes it such a great value.

Traditional Bridal Jewelry

If you prefer to go a more traditional route, what is more elegant than an 18″ white pearl necklace? This piece will look spectacular with most any gown. It instantly becomes an heirloom; but one that can be worn on a daily basis, giving any outfit a polished and classic look. When the time comes, it can be passed on to another bride, who will treasure it even more for the sentimental reasons now intertwined with it.

18" Pearl Necklace

Pearl Bracelets for the Bride

Our wrap pearl bracelet looks terrific and is so comfortable to wear, that you will forget you even have it on. There is nothing worse than wearing a piece of jewelry that “bothers” you, one that you can “feel.” Two of these bracelets worn at the same time are striking. At a very affordable $40 each, how can you go wrong?

Freshwater Pearl Bracelet

The 33 Chinese nationals who perform in this show are monks, warrior monks to be exact.  It takes anywhere from 3 – 10 years to become a master performer, able to tour in shows such as this. These warrior monks were all trained at the Shaolin Temple, which was founded in AD 477, and is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu.  I was surprised to learn that all these performers were monks because when I think of a monk, I tend to think of a very peaceful, very calm person, not one trained in Kung Fu! Goes to show once again how wrong preconceived notions can be.

Some of the movements were truly mind boggling. The control over their bodies and the strength displayed were beyond belief. It was amazing, the leaps, tumbling and kicking so high off the ground. The ability to lie perfectly flat, be lifted by 4 sharp spears and then stand without any visible marks must take concentration unlike anything I’ve ever experienced!

Watching this show made me want to go back to China again, not that I see much Kung Fu fighting in the streets of Shanghai!

As I was contemplating new designs last year, one thing I really wanted was a style that could be used in a variety of ways. Some days, I’m in the mood for something different from a 16” or 18” necklace. So, I decided to design a piece that could “become” just about anything you would want or need it to be.

Why 70 Inches?

I thought that if I designed a strand/necklace that was very long, it could be configured into many different “looks,” depending on how many times it’s looped and worn. I had several strands made in different lengths and experimented, until I decided that the 70” worked best. It can be worn as a choker, a two, three, or four strand necklace, a bracelet, a belt or even an anklet. Multiple 70” strands can be braided or twisted together to create even more looks. You can easily just layer as many as you want, creating the long layered look that is so popular now. 

Great for Travel

When I travel, a 70” strand is the perfect piece to take with me. I pick a few favorites, throw them in my carry-on and go. Because I can wear them so many different ways, I know that it will “go” with whatever outfit I choose. Usually I throw in a strand of pearls and a strand of micro-faceted stones. Wear them alone or together. The possibilities are endless. That’s why I LOVE these strands!

They Fit Everyone!

70” strands make perfect gifts, because they fit everyone. The recipient can adapt them to their own personal style, wearing them with classic and contemporary outfits. They are simple, elegant and striking…

Check out the 70″ Strands in our webstore.

Cambodian composer Him Sophy, who survived the Khmer Rouge work camps and then studied music in Russia for 13 years, wrote a moving score that combines traditional Khmer instruments with modern-day sounds. The opera presents the story of two Cambodian-American men who return home, where they struggle to reconcile themselves with their country’s violent past and newly modern ways. 

The opera had a trial run / test premiere in Lowell, Massachusetts in April 2007, which Brian and I were fortunate enough to attend. Lowell is home to the US’s 2nd largest Cambodian-American community, and the performance featured several of our friends. The opera itself is partly based on the life story of CLA’s founder, Arn Chorn Pond. When we were in Cambodia last fall, we were able to watch some of the music rehearsals. I’m sure the premiere in Phnom Penh was an incredible event, and I wish we could have been there for it. 

“Where Elephants Weep” is the culmination of several years’ hard work by CLA, and especially John Burt, a major CLA donor and the opera’s executive producer. Congratulations to everyone involved! This show was a major step forward for the arts in Cambodia, and the attention it has received should inspire more interest in Cambodian arts and culture. 

Here’s a link to CNN coverage of the Cambodian premiere:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/25/cambodia.opera/index.html

Congratulations again to everyone who worked so hard to make “Where Elephants Weep” the huge success that it has become.

At one point during the evening, our good friend Pat shared some of his most memorable experiences from his 6+ years of volunteering with Free Arts.

Pat spoke of a social worker coming over to him at the end of a particular program. She was in tears, and said that she’d never seen some of those kids smile before, and that day she saw them smile for the first time.

Art programs can be incredibly beneficial to those involved, and teach participants to express themselves within a safe and positive environment. Children are given the chance to have fun, create something totally their own, and share the experience with a parent or someone special to them. Busy hands working together or along side one another tend to have a positive and dramatic effect – that of opening the door to communication, which is the ultimate goal.  

Brian and I are really excited about this collaboration, as One Pearl’s mission aligns so well with that of Free Arts. 

Thanksgiving Day arrives in a few hours…

So this year, I have many things to be thankful for … for becoming aware of and involved with programs such as Free Arts, in addition to the non-profits we already support; for my family and good friends who continue to support me and encourage my efforts with One Pearl; for Brian who always seems to know how to do whatever needs to be done and who continues to work hard with me; and of course for my two sons, Graham and Ian, whom I am so happy to be celebrating tomorrow with…

Oh, and I’m very grateful for Brownie, too, our beloved golden retriever who is the most spoiled being in this household, rightly so!

The One Pearl logo, created by Lucas at Keiler & Co:

To my friend and renowned photographer John McDermott of Siem Reap, Cambodia for his incredibly breath-taking “beauty shots,” a huge thank you. John put much time and thought into these photos. One of my favorites, the blue topaz necklace wrapped around a banana trunk, took almost 13 hours to set up and shoot. It is an incredible photograph. John was reviewed in the New York Times, and was hailed as “the Ansel Adams of Southeast Asia.” Check out the article here.

The Lifestyle Gallery on the One Pearl site features more of his great work…

These three people gave me a chance and helped me out at a time when I needed just that. To them I am forever grateful and appreciative. Their kindness and generosity is a gift I will not soon forget.

I knew that the former Head of Watkinson School, Charley Todd, was living part time in Cambodia, but I had never met him. I got Charley’s email address and dashed off a note, asking if he would be in Siem Reap when we were scheduled to be there. Fate intervened; Charley had just arrived back in Cambodia the day before he received my email, and we were able to meet. The ensuing friendship and partnership between me, Graham, One Pearl, Charley and CLA was born in August of 2004.

Charley took us to Wat Atwea, where we saw master musicians and their students hard at work, the older generation passing the musical history of their beloved land to the younger generation. Through Charley, Graham and I came to learn more about the atrocities that occurred in Cambodia as a result of Pol Pot’s reign of terror in the 70’s. We were struck by the perseverance of the older master musicians, who had survived unimaginable horrors. We were inspired by the eagerness of the young kids, wanting to learn to play the music of their culture, which had all but been obliterated by the Khmer Rouge. Traditional Cambodian music has never been “written”, instead passing orally from one generation to the next. Because musicians, artists and the educated were targeted for execution during this time, Cambodian culture was nearing extinction. Graham and I were amazed at the tenacity and lust for life that the Cambodian people seem to possess. Their ability to forge ahead, to try and overcome the memories of that evil time, shows what the human spirit is capable of. 

Cambodian Living Arts was formed by a man I am honored to be able to call my good friend, Arn Chorn-Pond. Arn survived Pol Pot. Tragically, most of his family did not. Arn’s incredible story of escape was made into an Emmy nominated movie, “The Flute Player”, which wins accolades from all who see it. After seeing this movie, I was able to begin to understand why Arn has spent the decades since then as a human rights activist, and why he founded CLA. Arn took his wounded heart, his anger and his hope, harnessed that energy and got to work. Through his efforts and vision, CLA was born. CLA’s mission is to: “support the revival of Cambodian traditional art forms and to inspire contemporary artistic expression.” Through Arn’s tireless work, his dream is becoming reality. 

That CLA teaches young musicians the music of their forefathers is really just the tip of the iceberg of what they do. I have been to Cambodia many times over the past few years, and each time I begin to understand more and more what the freedom to learn means to those who teach and those who apprentice. At last, these gentle souls are being given a chance to be heard. To be free again, to not have to hide their talents, passions and opinions. Cambodian society is still recovering from one of its most cruel eras. Expression, through words and music, is part of that healing process. 

CLA does more than teach music, it gives young people something to look forward to and to feel proud of. These eager students also learn English, a skill that they clamor for and cannot get enough of. They are taught ways to earn money through their music, and are counseled on ways to improve their lives and that of their family. 

CLA is bringing about wonderful things for a culture and children that so deserve it. I am honored to be involved.