Pineapple Seed is the story of a young Thai-American couple from San Francisco who reached around the globe to start a jewelry business in consort with local Thai artisans. Contemporary designs and centuries-old silversmithing techniques result in stylish pieces of timeless beauty.

The Beginning

Pineapple Seed founder Nathiya Prathnadi studied fashion with a major in merchandise marketing, but after dabbling in visual marketing and product development, she found her true calling in jewelry design. She began making a few pieces for herself, and her friends became her first customers. Nathiya's love of fashion, travel, gardening and Tibetan Thanka painting informs all of her designs.

Nathiya’s husband, Soraj, studied illustration and worked as a graphic designer. He has since become a high-tech engineer but never lost his passion for design. Pineapple Seed provides an artistic outlet for him, a creative escape from his workaday life.

With Nathiya concentrating her efforts on the women’s line and Soraj designing exclusively for men, the husband-wife team of Pineapple Seed was underway. The decision to employ Thai artisans to create the company’s jewelry was a happy accident, and one that continues to help the company flourish.

The Heart

While traveling in Thailand sourcing materials, Nathiya happened by a display case with exceedingly well made jewelry in one of the countless small stores that line the streets of Chiang Mai. After inquiring about the source of the work, and the artisans who made the jewelry, she quickly got in contact, reviewed their work and practices and signed the talented team to create the designs for Pineapple Seed.

Today, Nathiya and Soraj work closely with their Thai partners, a group of about 10 metalsmiths. They monitor quality, working conditions and training through regular phone calls and visits. They are particularly proud that the group offers a training program covering all aspects of metalsmithing, so even unskilled workers can be hired and learn everything about the trade on the job. Nathiya and Soraj ensure that all of the artisans receive fair wages, including overtime, and that they work under good conditions.

The Highlights

According to Nathiya, Pineapple Seed’s jewelry “aims for simplicity to express a distinctive personal style and communicate a sense of culture and personal beliefs." Pineapple Seed's commitment to beauty extends to the country of Thailand, where this tiny global company sustains a fair-trade workshop of skilled metalsmiths, thus helping to support an emerging country’s growing economy.

We fell in love with Pineapple Seed's strikingly elegant designs when Nathiya and Soraj first showed them in San Francisco. We are pleased to introduce our customers to this delightful, talented and socially responsible husband-wife team!

Gifts with style and relevance from a socially responsible small business . . .