Chiang Mai, 
"My name is Danai Leosawathiphong. I was born March 20, 1949 in northern Thailand. My grandfather was a Chinese immigrant from the Canton province. He emigrated to Thailand at the end of the 19th century when he was in his early twenties. He was a very hard working person trading goods all along the river and during that time he met my partner's grandfather.
"I studied business and left for England. Engineering interested me, and I graduated with an engineering degree from Leeds University. I met Ilkay, my wife there. She went to Brunel University where she graduated in polymer science.
"In 1976, Ilkay and I came back to Thailand. Originally my family and partner's family planned to get into mining. And in order to analyze the rocks, ores and minerals, we needed to set up a lab. Then my partner's father suggested that we could also use the lab to create something representative of the area, and we came up with the idea of covering natural products such as exotic flowers and plants with gold. Well, the easiest way was to experiment with copper.
"So we started electro-plating products. We got a small bathtub, filled it with an electrolytic solution and placed anodes in there. We placed flowers in as cathodes wired to a DC rectifier and went home. Of course, we could not wait to see the results, so we came back at 2 or 3 in the morning. Yes, the flower should be nice by now. We took them out and… Wow! Only the wires were left! We tried and tried until we had our first flower covered with metal, but it really looked like a shrimp. So this experimenting lasted about two years. We had to start working professionally, because our process is not electro-plating, but rather electro-forming. Basically with electro-forming the layer of plating is much thicker and the surface better leveled than with electro-plating.
"It was a very demanding and challenging time for Ilkay and me because there were so many details involved in trying to get our products off the ground, working on packaging and advertising, etc. We had to run this activity like a proper business and, with our scientific backgrounds, this was another challenge. It was just as we were launching our product on the market that my partner married. His wife is in charge of marketing and has helped us tremendously.
"This new venture gave flavor to my life. It has enabled me to provide employment to others in my community, and they can provide for their families. From the very beginning, one of our main objectives has been to employ women, as there were few job offers for women then. Another main objective has been the environment, because we have to deal with chemicals. We reprocess everything we use and do not throw anything away. All our boxes are made out of recycled paper as well.
"I think our creations have a lot of potential. I do not think they will go out of fashion, because people generally love flowers. It is so interesting when you work for yourself. For the past 20 years or so, I have had good and bad times but I enjoyed it all. It is pretty much like black coffee – bitter, sweet and very nice."
Natural Gerbera Flower Brooch in Moss Green from Thailand 'Splendid Petals in Moss Green'
$59.99
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J
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Jacqueline I think this is a winner. It is beautiful, will look nice on a suit or dress.
Natural Flower Lariat Necklace 'Midnight Blue'
$54.99
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I
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Inga A very beautiful flower, quite large. I'm not sure if I can wear it, but undoubtedly it is a beautiful and high-quality product that pleases the eye and, of course, will add to my collection of beautiful jewelry. Thank you very much, I enjoyed this purchase!
Genuine Purple Orchid Resin Pendant Necklace with Gold Chain 'Orchid Majesty'
$59.99
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C
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Claudia This is even more beautiful that the picture can tell!! It was a present and everyone complemented in the party ! It is really well done and preserves beautifully the flower.
Artisan Crafted Natural Rose Brooch in Yellow from Thailand 'Rosy Mood in Yellow'
$57.99
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C
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Carol I bought three pieces from Danai - this yellow rose, a purple rose and a purple and green orchid pin/pendant. The are so real you want to put them to your nose to enjoy their fragrance! So beautiful. Thank you, Danai!
Fair Trade Gold Plated Natural Orchid Pendant Necklace 'Aqua Perfection'
$99.99
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S
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Sheilashese What i really like is this necklace is adjustable and very well made.would recommend with no hesitation. Everything i order has come well packaged.
Adjustable Natural Orchid Necklace in Blue from Thailand 'Natural Feeling in Blue'
$57.99
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E
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Ellen The color is gorgeous and the orchid looks like it was just picked. It's also lightweight, so easy to wear.
Resin Coated Natural Zinnia Button Earrings from Thailand 'Red Summertime Zinnia'
$47.99
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A
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Andrea I'm so happy with this purchase. The flowers are bright and refreshing. Looks like I picked fresh flowers and placed them on my ears. Very unique
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