Mata Traders' accessories are made by the hands of artisans in India and Nepal. Every item is an original piece, incorporating craft traditions that date back centuries.
Mata Traders' artisan cooperatives are similar to social service agencies in the support they provide to end the cycle of poverty for the members and their families. Health care, paid maternity leave, retirement pensions, and daycare: all part of the membership package. Social workers on staff assist the artisans in addressing their personal needs, from opening a bank account to situations of domestic violence and dealing with HIV/AIDS. There are literacy classes, computer training, and regular workshops on topics like hygiene, nutrition, and parenting. This education really makes a difference: co-op member Sidhama never rode buses before coming to the co-op because she could not read the bus numbers. Now she travels around Mumbai by bus without problem. The co-ops empower the women to navigate their own lives, quite literally!
Mata Traders use a variety of traditional techniques and materials to create our jewellery collections. The metal in their jewellery is brass – if it appears to be silver or gold, it’s been electroplated. The shapes are either die-cut or casted with a mould, and wood and bone components are mostly cut by hand. Once all the components have been formed, they’re assembled by hand into necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.
