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The Purple Buddha Project is a social business trying to raise funds on the crowdsourcing site, Kickstarter, to help Cambodian artisans upcycle the remains of conflict into jewelry. The Vietnam war actually spilled over into Cambodia and Laos, consuming both nations in the process. The Cambodian civil war and resulting genocide during that time was particularly devastating and savage.

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It`s not just about helping these artisans earn fair wages but also helping these get rid of bomb and bullet shells and even plane parts!  More than 2.7 million tons of bombs fell in Cambodia alone from 1965- 1973. That was more than was dropped by the Allies during WWII. 30% of the bombs failed to detonate.

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The Purple Buddha Project`s jewelry made from historical artifacts is led by Forrest Curran of Austin, Texas. The sale of each piece will also see a donation to clear 3 cubic meters of land in Cambodia and Laos.

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While the metal parts are from unwanted war debris, the historical “focals“ are sourced from different locations.  There are meteorite fragments from Houston, Texas.

[Image] Meteorite Jewelry
Jewelry made with chunks from the Berlin wall and artifacts from the days of the British East India Company round up the collection.  It is a fascinating choice of historical artifacts.  Most meteorites are ancient, dating back to the beginning of the solar system. They are indeed the oldest materials found on our planet.

[Image] Berlin Wall Jewelry Construction on the Berlin Wall began in 1961 during the Cold War to separate West Berlin from the East Berlin and the surrounding communist East Germany.  It didn`t last long, `falling`in 1989 and the reunification of Germany followed soon after.

[Image] British East India Company The East India Company began with with charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600 for the purposes of trading in the East Indies.  The company grew to such an extent that it eventually ruled large parts of India with the help of its own private armies.  The Indian Mutiny of 1857 begun by their sepoys (Indian soldiers) and the widespread rebellions led to its downfall. Britain soon stepped in to govern India. The British Raj lasted until India and Pakistan gained their independence in 1947.

This Purple Buddha Project video shows a tour of the workshop and artisans who make the jewelry.




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