About the plain of jars
 

The U.S. dropped more than two million tons of explosives on Laos between 1964 and 1973 – equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day – making Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. The bombings destroyed villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during this nine-year period.

It is estimated that one-third of the bombs did not explode, leaving Laos littered with roughly 80 million unexploded ordnance (UXO), rusting helicopters and piles of discarded weaponry and ammunition. Every year, villagers are hurt or killed when the aging UXOs finally detonate. This literal mine field of unstable explosives has ruined important historical and religious sites (like the Plain of Jars), prevents the farming and development of vast amounts of land, and continues to kill innocent Lao civilians.

At the Plain of Jars, we work with 13 villager families who carefully unearth, stabilize and melt the bombs to create beautiful, simple jewelry for the world to enjoy. These courageous individuals take what was meant to destroy them, turning it into sustainable income while cleaning up their land, one meter at a time.

We are incredibly proud and humbled to work with such strong and loving people, and we hope you will cherish your jewelry and always remember the incredible journey it’s taken to reach you.

Welcome to the Plain of Jars.