Friday, May 9, 2008

Jewelry/Jewelers from around the world - Saudi Arabia

It has been way too long since my last post but I have a great excuse....I was off discovering distant lands! I am lucky to have a day job that allows me to go to places most only dream of. The most recent trip took me to Oman and Saudi Arabia. It was one of my most exciting trips to date and it was filled with many firsts - My first experience wearing the Abbaya and headscarf (they are really beautful by the way), my first meeting with a prince, my first camel ride, my first coral abrasion thanks to the Red Sea, and real life experience in a gender segregated society. I could go on and on but it is not the point of this post. On a trip out to the gold market with our local guide I had a chance to see some local jewelers and their work space. I know they thought I was crazy for asking for pictures but it seems like everyone was ready and willing to strike a pose. To seem a little less crazy I would tell them that my father and I were both jewelers and I wanted to show him what I was seeing. The pictures you are about to see are from Saudi Arabia but you should know that most of the people in jewelery workshops are not Saudi but immigrant workers. You will see in the one picture plenty of Saudi women shopping for gold. I hope you find these as interesting as I did from behind the camera!