Hello

My Story

My name is Ruby, and I am from the Lisu (Lisaw) tribe of the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. My story, like the jade I love, was formed under pressure.
 

When I was just two years old, my father was killed in an accident on the mountain. Overnight, my mother became a single parent, left to raise my older brother, my older sister, and me on her own. My childhood was not one of ease; it was a daily struggle for survival that lasted from my earliest memories until I was 17. To make ends meet, my family had to scatter—some working on the mountain farms, others seeking labor in Bangkok. I was sent to live and grow up mostly alone in Chiang Mai city.
 

That feeling of being an outsider became my shadow. I will never forget my first days at a city primary school. I was a little girl from the mountains who could only speak her Lisu tongue, not a word of Thai. I was immediately met with a wall of prejudice. Classmates, hearing my accent, spat a slur at me: "Meow"—a derogatory term used in Thailand to belittle and dehumanize hill tribe people. Because of my identity, I was boycotted. No one would play with me or include me in group activities. I even heard the parents of my Thai classmates telling their children to stay away from the "mountain girl." I learned what it meant to be completely, heartbreakingly alone.
 

But hardship, like the pressure that creates jade, can also create strength. After I managed to complete my university degree, my eyes were fully opened to the systemic injustice my people face every day. I knew I couldn't accept this reality. I had to bring change.
 

My inspiration came from a memory. As a child, I would sometimes work with my mother selling oranges near the Thai-Burma border. It was there I first saw the stunning, vibrant green of jade. It captivated me instantly. As I grew older, I learned that jade takes hundreds of thousands of years to form deep within the earth. Its journey from a raw, hidden stone to a polished, radiant gem requires immense patience and hard work to make it shine.
 

In that process, I saw the spirit of the Koh Doi, the hill tribe people. We are a people who have endured generations of hardship, yet possess an inner strength and a beautiful culture that deserves to shine.
 

I believe jade is the key. It can change the lives of my people and give courage to everyone fighting their own difficult battles. After working for several years in Bangkok, I have returned home to Chiang Mai to fulfill my dream. This shop is more than a business; it is a promise I made to that lonely little girl in the schoolyard. My mission is to change the lives of the mountain people by creating a fair, non-discriminating business that provides equal working opportunities for all ethnic groups and Thai people alike.
 

Thank you for being a part of this journey. With every piece you choose, you help turn a story of struggle into one of strength and beauty.