Thai Beaded Flower Necklace, "Sky Romance"

"My name is Sukanya Thongperm, and I was born December 3, 1960 in Ang Thong province. My father passed away when I was child, and then my mother passed away three years ago. I am the second of three children but when I was 10 years old, I was sent to live with some relatives. I was like a daughter to them, so now I feel like I have two families, my biological one and my adoptive one. My second family lived in Bangkok, and I would visit my mother as often as possible.

"I studied primary school in Bangkok, junior high in the province of Prachuap Kriri Khan, and then I returned to Bangkok for vocational college. I then studied and obtained a bachelor's degree in English from Ramkhamhang University. As a student, I worked in a few souvenir shops in hotels, including jewelry shops.

"I am Roman Catholic. I believe in God and that one must do one's best today and everyday. I go to church every Sunday and on special Christian holidays. I work hard at what I do every day of the week and manage to find the time to relax at least two to three times a month. At the end of every year, I usually go to Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand, on the border with Myanmar. I go with friends to help another friend, who is an evangelist.

"I am single and I live alone in the big city, but I feel lucky to have many friends around me. I never feel lonely and my friends are always by my side, whether I feel happy or sad. Likewise, I am there for them. I think I am a very fortunate woman to have the friends I have made.

"I have always enjoyed designing and decorating, but I had never had the opportunity to study in this field. Nevertheless, time has brought me the opportunity to do the thing I love best. I don't have any formal training in jewelry design or craft, but I love doing it anyway. My designs might not comply with usual standards, but they come from my imagination and earnestness. I think I have talent and I learned a thing or two while working in jewelry shops when I was at university. Besides, I have a passion for all things jewelry! I love to design it and wear it!

"I like to go to jewelry exhibitions for inspiration – I never copy someone else's work. My designs are special and unique, and sometime reflect my customers' taste. For example, the British like simple yet unique pieces, while my American clientele prefers a more a deluxe, modern, and majestic style. My Thai customers like smaller pieces decorated with gemstones. However, I don't adhere to any one particular style. I like variation and while I may pay attention to someone's preferences, I transform them according to my own taste and style.

"My plans for the future include opening my own jewelry boutique, from where I can sell my jewelry collections. It may require a lot of many but I know one day I'll see my wish come true."