89 items
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in red, with white sawtooth points and bands of blue, orange, yellow and green. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. If Maasai beadwork has a home colour, it is this one. Red dominates Maasai dress and it is the shade most associated with the culture the work comes from. Every other set in this range is a variation on the idea. This is the one that sits closest to the source. It is also the loudest piece here, and it is meant to be. Red at this scale does not accompany an outfit, it decides one. That makes it the wrong choice for an ordinary work day and exactly the right one for a wedding, a naming ceremony, a birthday, or anywhere a photograph is going to be taken. The points are worked in white rather than black, so they flare against the red instead of cutting it. Inside them run bands of blue, orange, yellow and green, each one separated by black. It wants a plain ground and nothing competing with it: white, cream, black, or traditional dress cut in a single colour. Do not put it over a print, because one of the two will lose and it will not be the necklace. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A hand beaded Kenyan flag cuff bracelet made in Kenya, in two designs, for wearing the flag to a match, a celebration or every day. You choose the design at checkout. Red cuff: a solid red beaded band with a narrow stripe in the flag colours running across it, and the Maasai shield from the centre of the Kenyan flag worked over the top in red, black and white beads. This is the cuff in the first photograph. Green: the flag itself wrapped around the wrist, wide bands of green, red and black divided by white, with the shield beaded where the stripes meet. It fastens with two black press studs, as the second photograph shows. If you want the flag to read at a glance, choose the green cuff, because it is the whole flag. If you want a bold block of colour that sits well with a plain outfit, choose the red. The maker gives the size as 20cm. It is made from beads and string by hand, so the pattern can vary slightly from cuff to cuff. Keep it dry and store it flat.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade brass cuff with a wide hammered disc at its centre and a single natural cowrie shell bound on with fine brass wire. The back is open, so it slips over the wrist and adjusts. Most cowrie jewellery threads a row of small shells onto cord. This sets one whole shell on a hammered brass disc, so the shell reads as a single deliberate focal point rather than a holiday souvenir, and the piece carries an outfit on its own without a second bracelet next to it. The frame is one length of round brass bent into a long teardrop, with the disc fixed where the two ends meet, about 3 inches across by the maker's own measure. The maker also describes the brass as recycled. There is no clasp and no sizing to choose: squeeze the opening gently to close the fit, or ease it wider. Brass darkens as it is worn. Bring the shine back with a soft cloth and keep it dry.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade beaded flower earrings with petals in red, white, green and black, the Kenyan flag colours, beaded around a faceted gold centre, on gold tone hooks. Nuru means light in Swahili. This is the flag version of the Nuru Bloom, and it is the more interesting of the two to look at, because each petal is a different colour rather than the whole flower being one, so the shape reads as a flower first and the flag second. That is the useful part. It carries Kenya without being a flag pinned to your ear, which is the difference between wearing it once and wearing it often. If you would rather have it plain, the white and gold Nuru Bloom is the same flower in one colour. The maker gives the flower as 4cm across. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the two flowers differ a little from each other. Keep them away from perfume, and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Elevate your everyday look with our handcrafted statement earrings, designed for women who love art, culture, elegance, and originality. Each piece is carefully made with attention to detail, blending creativity with timeless African-inspired beauty. From bold artistic designs to minimalist luxury styles, our earrings are lightweight, stylish, unique, and perfect for every occasion. Whether you’re dressing up for an event, creating content, gifting a loved one, or adding personality to your daily outfit, these earrings are made to stand out beautifully without compromising comfort. Why you’ll love them: • Handmade with premium finishing • Unique artistic and African-inspired designs • Lightweight and comfortable for long wear • Perfect for casual, classy, and occasion styling • Beautiful gift option for fashion lovers Style meets art in every piece. Limited pieces available.
Sold by FOSAC ENTERPRISE • Osun
Fashion Accessories
Complete your traditional Nigerian look with this handmade Agbada beads set, crafted for the modern African man. The set features three long beaded necklaces and three matching bracelets, made from premium Brazilian coral, natural stone beads, sparkling crystal beads and polished gold ball beads. Perfect for weddings, naming ceremonies, festivals and special occasions, this elegant accessory set adds authentic African style and cultural heritage to your agbada, kaftan or senator outfit. Each piece is carefully handcrafted by skilled artisans, making it a meaningful gift and a timeless addition to any wardrobe.
Sold by Lolari Glamour • Abuja
Fashion Accessories
A four piece black and white beaded jewellery set: a cape collar, a headband, drop earrings and a hand bracelet. Every piece carries the same pattern, white diamonds on a black band. The collar is a band of diamonds that sits round the neck and opens into a wide open mesh of black seed beads, with a small white bead at each crossing, falling about 15 to 20cm over the shoulders. The headband repeats the diamond band, the earrings are a beaded diamond with a looped teardrop drop on an ear wire, and the bracelet is a wide beaded cuff joined by a beaded strand to a ring that slips over a finger. It is made for weddings, traditional ceremonies, heritage days and formal evenings, and black and white sits well over almost any colour worn underneath. Hand beaded to order in South Africa from glass seed beads on jewellery thread, so allow 7 to 14 days for making before it ships. Keep the beadwork dry and wipe it gently with a soft cloth.
Sold by IzigiBeads • East London
Fashion Accessories
A Maasai beaded cuff banded in orange, white, black, red, yellow and blue, backed in leather and fastening with a press stud. Narrow enough to wear every day. The rows are worked in fine glass seed beads and held straight by pale spacer strips, and the whole band is mounted on leather so it keeps its shape rather than curling. The press stud means it goes on one handed, which is the practical difference from a tie or a slide fastening. The maker gives the length as 20cm. This is the everyday width. If you want the beadwork to carry a whole outfit on its own, the wide cuff in this shop is the deeper piece.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in bright green, banded with yellow, white, red and blue against black and finished in gold tone. Necklace, bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Green is the colour almost nobody makes beaded jewellery in, and that is the reason to buy this one. Red, black and white sets are everywhere. A saturated grass green is not, so this reads as a specific choice rather than a default. It is also the fullest piece of Maasai colour work in the range. The green is broken by black sawtooth points, and inside them run bands of yellow, white, red and blue, each one separated again by black. That is the whole palette rather than an accent or two, which is why the set carries an outfit on its own. It wants a plain ground to sit against: white, cream, black, denim, or traditional dress cut in a single colour. Put it over another print and the two fight. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. The sawtooth points are counted out bead by bead rather than measured, so their spacing shifts a little from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Beaded drop earrings in the colours of the Kenyan flag, handmade in Kenya. Black, red, green and white seed beads run in diagonal stripes down a long diamond, with gold toned beads between the rows and a faceted gold bead at the tip. Uhuru is the Swahili word for freedom, and the colours carry the meaning of the flag: black for the people, red for the blood shed for independence, green for the land and white for peace. They are lightweight and suit Madaraka and Jamhuri Day, a family celebration, or any outfit that wants a flash of colour. They hang from gold tone fish hook ear wires. The maker gives the size as 4.5cm long by 1.5cm wide.Handmade by Nekesa of Mulembe Beads, a Bukusu beadworker in Kenya. If you want the flag colours in a rounder shape, the Amani and Nuru Bloom flower earrings from the same maker are the softer choice.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
African products
A handmade Ghanaian bracelet of chunky glass disc beads in one solid colour, strung on a white cord and made to suit men and women alike. The photograph shows the yellow bracelet. It also comes in green and in red, which you choose from the colour options; those two are not pictured, so ask the seller if you would like to see them first. The beads are made in the Krobo style of Ghana's Eastern Region, thick flat discs with a soft matte finish, stacked side by side all the way round so the bracelet reads as one solid ring of colour. It is a simple piece to wear every day on its own, or to stack with other beads for a cultural occasion, and it makes an easy gift for anyone who loves West African beadwork. Size: about 20.3cm (8 inches) around, with beads about 2.5cm across. Construction: glass beads threaded onto a white textile cord and tied with a knot. Care: keep it dry, wipe it with a soft cloth, and store it flat so the cord keeps its shape.
Sold by GOLDEN HERITAGE AFRICA GALLERY • Cape Coast
Fashion Accessories
A beautifully handcrafted three-piece beaded jewellery set featuring the timeless peyote beadwork technique. The set includes matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelet, designed to create a coordinated and elegant look. Handmade in Kenya • Elegant • Lightweight • Versatile
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in white and gold beadwork: a brass cuff carrying a large round beaded disc, and a matching adjustable ring with a smaller disc in the same pattern. The disc on the cuff is beaded in concentric rings of white and metallic gold seed beads, worked outward from a single centre bead, with a beaded edge running right around the rim. The ring repeats the pattern at a fraction of the size, which is the harder of the two to make: the same rings have to fall into a disc that sits on a finger. Both pieces are built on brass. The cuff is an open band that slips over the wrist rather than fastening, and the ring band is open at the back so it adjusts to the finger. White and gold is the version of this beadwork that goes with everything. It sits as easily against a white shirt and jeans as it does against a wedding outfit, which is not true of the brighter colourways. Each disc is beaded by hand, so the spacing of the gold rings varies slightly between sets. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water. Brass darkens naturally with wear, and a soft dry cloth brings the shine back.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set on bright orange, blocked with turquoise, blue, red, green and white against black. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Orange is the only warm ground in this range. Everything else is built on black, white, navy or green, and those are all colours that sit back. Orange comes forward. It reads as sunlight rather than as formalwear, and it lifts a face instead of framing it. The colour is blocked here rather than banded. Squares of turquoise, royal blue, red, green and white are stacked across the strands and separated by black, so the pattern reads as a chequer laid over the orange rather than as stripes running round it. The blocks stagger slightly from strand to strand, which is what stops a piece this bright from looking printed. It does its best work on plain and warm: cream, tan, brown, white, denim, or a wrapper cut in a single colour. Against hard black it fights rather than sits, so if black is most of your wardrobe the navy set is the better buy. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same blocks in the same order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. Each block is counted out bead by bead, so no two sets line up identically and none of them match the photographs exactly. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A black cord bracelet set with two cowrie shells and three brass coils. The two shells sit side by side on the top of the wrist, each threaded onto the cord through its natural opening and held in place between small coils of brass wire wound by hand. The cord ends run past each other and are finished with matching brass coils, so the bracelet looks finished from every side. It is a simple, light piece that works on its own or stacked with other bracelets, and it suits any wrist. If you like the shells, the store's cowrie shell ear cuff uses the same natural cowries and the same hand coiled brass. Care: keep it dry where you can, and wipe the shells with a soft cloth. Brass darkens naturally with wear and can be polished back.
Sold by AfroGlam Jewels • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece brass set: an open cuff with twin hammered bands crossed by a bar holding two cowrie shells and a white stone, plus a heart shaped ring. It suits anyone who likes bold metal that still reads clean. The cuff is built like a ladder rather than a solid band, so the two bands sit apart and the arm shows through the gaps, and the cowries stand out past the bands instead of sitting flat on them. That open, linear shape is what separates it from the maker's other cowrie cuffs, which are built around a solid disc or a stack of close set bands. If you want something quieter for every day, her single disc cowrie cuff is the softer buy. This one is for a bare arm. The ring is a hand hammered heart shaped shield with a cowrie held across the centre by two brass prongs. The dimpled hammer texture is raised enough to catch the light from across a room. Both pieces are made from brass the maker reclaims from scrap, which she describes as old padlocks and plumbing fixtures, melted down, sand cast and hammered by hand. The cowries and the stone on the cuff are set in soldered brass rims. The cuff and the ring are both open at the back and adjust by gentle squeezing or flaring. Keep the brass dry, wipe it with a soft cloth and store it away from damp. Brass darkens over time and a little metal polish brings the shine back.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece brass jewellery set from Kenya: a multi band open cuff and a matching bypass ring, each holding a natural cowrie shell and a cast brass one. What sets it apart is that pairing. On the cuff a real cowrie sits in a twisted rope bezel beside a cowrie cast in solid brass, so the same shell appears twice, once as the sea made it and once in metal. The ring carries the idea on to the hand, the two shells passing each other on an open band. If the rest of your jewellery is plain metal, this is the piece that brings in texture without bringing in colour. Cowrie shells were money across much of Africa for centuries and still stand for wealth and good fortune. The East African coast has its own cowrie, so on a Kenyan piece these are shells from home waters rather than a borrowed symbol. Polished brass with natural cowrie shells, hand worked and hand finished, so the bands carry faint hammer marks and no two sets come out identical. The cuff is about 5 to 6.4cm deep with an inner diameter of about 5.7 to 6.4cm, open at the back so it eases on and adjusts to the wrist. The ring is an open band that adjusts to the finger. Brass darkens as it is worn. A soft cloth and a little brass polish bring the shine back. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it dry.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in turquoise blue with black sawtooth points and bands of yellow, white, green and red. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. If you pictured Maasai beadwork before you opened this page, this is probably close to what you saw. Turquoise against black is the pairing the work is known for, and it is the one that reads as Maasai from across a room instead of needing to be explained. It is also the easiest of the bright sets to wear outdoors. Turquoise holds its colour in daylight where deeper shades flatten out, so it photographs well and it sits over denim, white linen or cream without any effort at all. This is the summer and holiday piece in the range. The blue is broken by black sawtooth points, and inside them run bands of yellow, white, green and red. The points are counted out bead by bead rather than measured, which is why the teeth are never quite even and why the piece looks made rather than manufactured. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set rather than five things that happen to match. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the sawtooth points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A hammered brass claw pendant on a black cord necklace. The claw is a slim curved point, hammered along its length and finished at the top with a ridged brass cap and ring, below a neat wrapped knot. Two sliding knots at the back adjust the length; the maker gives it as 30cm. It is brass all the way through, so you get the look of a claw necklace with no animal part in it. Care: brass darkens naturally over time; a soft dry cloth brings back the shine. Keep the cord dry.
Sold by AfroGlam Jewels • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flower earrings in white and silver lined seed beads, built up in raised layered petals around a faceted silver bead at the centre, on silver tone fish hook ear wires. A soft, bright pair for a wedding, bridal wear or a plain outfit that wants one detail. The white beads give the petals their body and the silver lined beads trace each edge, so the flower sparkles without any metal showing. The first photograph is a single earring on a wooden table, which shows the beadwork close up as it really is. If you want warmer tones, the same Neema flower is also made in white and gold. Care: keep them dry and away from perfume, and store them so the petals are not crushed.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion
A wide Maasai beaded cuff, around ten rows of glass seed beads deep, banded in red, green, orange, white and black and fastening with press studs on a leather tab. The beads are strung in rows and held in line by slim spacer strips running down the cuff, which is what stops a band this deep from collapsing on the wrist. The leather tab carries the studs, so it opens flat and goes on without help. The maker gives the length as 20cm. If you want something for every day, the narrower wrist cuff in this shop is the easier piece. This one is for when you want the beadwork to be the thing people see.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade beaded flower earrings from Kenya, worked in the black, red, green and white of the Kenyan flag with a faceted blue bead at the centre. Each flower is built by hand from small glass beads threaded into loops that spiral out from the middle, so the white arms cross over the red, green and black underneath and the shape holds without any metal frame behind it. Faceted silver tone beads sit around the outer edge and catch the light when you move. They hang from plain hook fittings. The four colours are the national flag. Black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the fight for independence, green for the land, and white for peace and honesty. The store is called Mulembe beads, and mulembe is the Luhya word for peace, so the white beads and the maker's own greeting are saying the same thing. They are a statement pair, so they sit best against a plain top or a plain dress. Keep them dry, put them on after perfume or lotion, and store them flat so the beaded arms stay in line.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece beaded set in solid black with gold tone fittings. No banding, no pattern, just the beadwork and the weight. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Every other set in this range is built on colour. This one is not. There is no banding and no pattern anywhere on it, and that changes what it actually is. Not African beadwork that happens to be black, but a piece of black jewellery that happens to be beaded. That is a practical difference rather than a poetic one. Colour decides where a piece can go. This has none, so it goes anywhere: a funeral, a board meeting, an evening event, or an ordinary day when you want the scale without the statement. It is the only set here you could wear five days running without anyone clocking it as the same necklace. With the colour taken away, the work shows in two other places. The beadwork has a texture that catches light in a way flat black never does, and the collar has real scale to it. The gold tone caps and clasp are the only break in the black, and they are what stop it reading as plain rather than deliberate. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings repeat the same beadwork, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. Every strand is worked bead by bead, so the strands are never quite identical in thickness and no set matches the photographs exactly. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade beaded anklet in black glass seed beads, broken by three bands of multicolour beads, each carrying a small polished metal disc, and fastened with a clear button. The black runs in three strands that gather into the coloured bands, so the anklet lies flat against the ankle rather than rolling. The discs hang loose from small rings and catch the light as you walk. It closes by passing a clear button through a beaded loop, which is simple to do up and does not snag. The maker gives the length as 25cm. Measure round your ankle before ordering, because the button loop sets one length rather than adjusting. Made by hand in Kenya. Keep it out of the sea and the pool where you can, and wipe the discs dry to keep them bright.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade rope necklace of white pearl beads wrapped in green glass seed beads that spiral all the way round it, finished with a silver tone clasp. A fresh, bright piece for a white shirt, a summer dress or a green outfit that wants a finishing touch. The green beads are translucent, so light passes through them and they glow rather than sit flat, which is the one thing this colourway does that the others do not. Two green lines wind around the pearls with finer pale beads between them, and the necklace sits close and full at the base of the neck. It fastens with a silver tone lobster clasp, with a small bead cap at each end of the rope and a short extender chain finished with a ball, all visible in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower. The same twist is also made in pink and white, and in black and white. Care: keep it dry and away from perfume, and store it laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A Maasai beaded headpiece worked in glass seed beads, with a structured beaded band, straps that cross over the crown and two fine metal chains that fall at the side. It is made for occasion wear rather than every day: weddings, naming ceremonies, cultural events, dance and photography, and it sits over braided or gathered hair. The beadwork runs in narrow horizontal rows of red, white, black, orange, blue, green and yellow. The rows are worked over fine wire, which is why the band holds its round shape instead of collapsing when you pick it up, and it is the part of the making that takes the longest. The straps that cross the crown are beaded on both faces and meet at a small beaded button at the top, which is also how the piece fastens. Two lengths of silver tone chain hang from the band with a small disc at the end. The maker gives the size as 45cm. Materials are glass beads, beading thread, fine wire, buttons and metal chain. Store it flat or on a stand so the band keeps its shape. Keep it away from perfume and hairspray, and clean it with a dry soft brush only.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Button stud earrings with a gold tone metal crescent curved around one edge, sold as one pair in black, red, or a brown tortoiseshell with a crystal centre. This is the dressiest pair in the collection and the metal edge is what does it. The curve gives the button a setting, so from across a room the earring reads as jewellery rather than as a button, which is the opposite of what the plain wooden pairs are doing. If you want the maker's idea somewhere nobody will remark on it, pick this one. The buttons are moulded plastic with a high gloss. The black and red pairs are plain faces with the metal curve alone; the brown pair is a tortoiseshell effect with a small crystal set in the centre. The post is fixed to the back of the button, so nothing shows from the front. Wipe with a dry cloth and keep them out of hot water.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in brass toned metal: an open cuff built from two parallel bars joined by a bridge, and a matching adjustable ring, each carrying an oval panel of hand woven cream and gold seed beads. Look at the second photograph for the construction. The cuff is not a solid band. It is two bars held apart by a vertical strut, so most of what sits on the wrist is skin rather than metal and the beaded oval floats above that gap. It is a lighter and more architectural look than a plain cuff, and it is why the set reads as designed rather than simply decorated. The beadwork is cream white with a line of gold running through the centre of each oval, worked row by row. The cuff is open at the back so it slips on, and the maker gives a fit of 5.5 to 7.5 inch wrists. The ring is adjustable. Keep away from water and perfume, and store the two pieces apart so the beadwork does not catch on the cuff.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Rasta beaded set in black, banded with yellow, red and green and finished in gold tone. One necklace, three bracelets and a pair of earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Five pieces, which is two more than most beaded sets at this price. The colour does not sit in straight bands here. The yellow runs into the black in a flame edge, sawtooth points that break the line where the two meet, with narrow red and green stripes laid across the yellow. It is a harder thing to bead than a straight band, and it is the reason this one does not read like every other black beaded necklace. Black carries the red, gold and green rather than competing with them, so the Rasta colours read as deliberate rather than costume. That is what makes this one wearable on an ordinary day as well as at carnival, a reggae night, a birthday or Africa Day. Against plain black, white or denim it does all the work on its own. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set rather than five things that happen to match. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Every strand is strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the flame points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Three small coconut shell pouches on cords, worn as necklaces, from Ghana. Each pouch is a hollowed coconut shell painted in bands of red, yellow, green and black, with a zip set between the shell and its lid and a black cord to hang it round your neck. It is a pendant and a pocket at once: big enough for coins, a key, earplugs or a lip balm at a festival or on the beach, and small enough to forget you are wearing it. The three in the photographs are lettered UNITE, ROOT and AFRICA. They are made by Ancient Culture, a Ghanaian artisan partner of Unite Root Africa in Nsawam. The set is assorted, so the lettering and the order of the colour bands on yours may differ from the photographs.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
Fashion Accessories
A handmade rope necklace of white pearl beads wrapped in bright pink seed beads that spiral all the way round it, finished with a silver tone clasp. The most playful of the maker's pearl twists, made for summer, a pink outfit or a bridesmaid in pink. Two lines of hot pink beads, with finer pale beads between them, wind around the pearls like the stripes on a sweet, so the white shows through in soft bands and the colour reads from across a room. It sits close at the base of the neck, round and full, and needs nothing else with it. It fastens with a silver tone lobster clasp, with a small bead cap at each end of the rope and a short extender chain finished with a ball, all visible in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower. If you want something quieter, the same twist is also made in black and white, and in green and white. Care: keep it dry and away from perfume, and store it laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade geometric drop earrings beaded in the Kenyan flag colours, black, red, green and white, with gold beads marking the corners, on gold plated hooks. They are an open diamond rather than a solid panel, which is why they are light on the ear at this size. That matters on beaded earrings, because the usual complaint about a statement pair is the weight. The colours are the flag read around the shape rather than stacked in stripes, so it is recognisable without being literal. If you want Kenya on your ears without a flag printed on them, this is the pair. The maker gives the size as 3 by 3cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the two will not be identical twins and neither will match the photographs exactly. Keep them away from perfume, and store them flat rather than hanging.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in pale yellow: a button pendant ringed with small pearl beads on a waxed cord necklace, and a pair of small translucent amber stud earrings to wear with it. It is a set, at the price most shops charge for one earring, and that is the argument. The pieces are deliberately not matched too tightly: the pendant is opaque and solid, the studs are see through and catch the light, so wearing both does not read as a matching set from a gift box. EHC stands for the earring that heard the conversation, which is the maker's idea for the whole line: a button spends its working life holding clothes together, and here it is moved up to the ear and the collarbone, where it listens instead. The necklace fastens with a lobster clasp and has an extender chain, so it can be worn tight at the throat or dropped lower. The pearl beads are set into the face of the button rather than strung around it, so nothing catches on a collar. Keep the cord dry and take the set off before swimming.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring built on a bright red button, with a red and white spotted strawberry and a green leafy top hanging below it. These earrings belong to EHC, The Earring That Heard The Conversation. The buttons once held clothes together and now sit by the ear, listening in. That is the whole idea of the piece, something ordinary moved to where it can be noticed. This is the playful one. The strawberry is small and solid rather than dainty, so it reads across a room, and the red button repeats the fruit instead of competing with it. It suits denim and plain summer clothes, and it is short enough to wear all day without pulling. About 5cm long. Made by hand in Ibadan, Nigeria. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it flat.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
Blue and white beaded diamond earrings, handmade in Kenya. Rows of seed beads are stitched flat into a long diamond: a white border, then bands of royal blue and a lighter blue, around a small white diamond at the centre. Baraka means blessing in Swahili. This is the statement pair: large, flat and graphic, they read from across a room and go well with white, denim or navy. They are lightweight and hang from silver tone fish hook ear wires. The maker gives the size as 8cm by 4.5cm.Handmade by Nekesa of Mulembe Beads, a Bukusu beadworker in Kenya.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade rope necklace of white pearl beads wrapped in black seed beads that spiral all the way round it, finished with a silver tone clasp. The most formal of the maker's pearl twists, made for a black dress, evening wear or a monochrome wardrobe. Two lines of black beads wind around the pearls in crisp stripes, so the necklace reads graphic and sharp rather than sweet, and it goes with anything black or white you already own. It sits close and full at the base of the neck. It fastens with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, both visible in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower. If you want colour instead, the same twist is also made in pink and white, and in green and white. Care: keep it dry and away from perfume, and store it laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A pair of wide wrist cuffs, one in plain brass toned wire and one threaded with royal blue glass beads, each built from many wires bound together at both ends. Worn together they read as one deep band of gold and blue across the wrist, which is what the first photograph shows. Worn apart, the plain half goes with anything and the beaded half carries the colour, so the set does two jobs rather than one. If the rest of your jewellery is plain metal, this is the piece that adds the colour. Look at the second photograph for the construction. Each cuff is a run of parallel wires gathered at both ends and wrapped, with a loop terminal at each corner, so it holds its shape and slips over the wrist rather than fastening. On the blue half the beads are threaded along each wire one wire at a time, which is the slow part of the work. Made from brass finished jewellery wire and glass seed beads. The maker gives an inner diameter of 5 to 5.2 inches, a standard slip on fit. Keep away from water and perfume, and store it flat.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in royal blue, with orange sawtooth points and bands of red, turquoise and yellow. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. This set does something none of the others can. Royal blue is deep enough and saturated enough to hold its own against a print. Every other piece in this range wants a plain ground under it, because a pattern underneath turns the beadwork into noise. This one sits over Ankara, adire or a bold wrapper and still reads clearly. For anyone whose wardrobe is mostly print rather than mostly plain, which is most people who buy African fashion, that is the whole argument. The points are worked in orange against the blue, with bands of red, turquoise and yellow inside them and dark navy separating each one. Orange against royal blue is the hardest working pair in the range. They sit at opposite ends of the colour wheel, so each one makes the other look stronger than it would alone. It carries a wedding, church, a birthday, a shoot or an ordinary Saturday. Blue is the one colour almost nobody looks wrong in, which also makes it the safest of the bright sets to buy for someone else. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in black and gold: a multi strand collar necklace with a coiled beaded flower at the centre front, a matching bracelet and drop earrings. Gold against black is the oldest formal pairing there is and this set uses it without apology. The gold runs in bands along the strands and gathers into the flower at the throat, so the piece has a focal point rather than being decorated evenly the whole way round. This is a formal set rather than an everyday one. It belongs with a plain dark dress, a white shirt, or traditional dress cut in a single deep colour, and it is built for the occasions where photographs get taken. If you want the same construction in something you could wear on an ordinary day, the black and multicolour set in this shop is the easier one to reach for. The necklace fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps, and the earrings repeat the same black and gold banding. Every strand is wrapped and bound by hand, so the width of the gold bands varies slightly from set to set. The flower at the centre is coiled by hand and is never twice the same. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water. Store the necklace flat or hanging so the strands hold their shape, and keep the centre flower from being crushed under other pieces in a jewellery box. Wipe with a dry soft cloth.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Te Fiti's Heart is a handmade necklace and earring set crafted to bring a bold, one-of-one statement to your look. Designed for shoppers searching for unique handmade jewelry, this set blends artisanal detail, distinctive character, and everyday wearability. With its expressive design and thoughtful finish, it is an ideal gift or personal piece for anyone who loves original fashion jewelry with a story.
Sold by Alienesque Co • Nigeria
Fashion Accessories
A hammered brass pendant in the shape of Africa, on a black cord necklace. The whole surface of the continent is hammered by hand, so it catches the light from every angle, and it hangs from a small brass ring beneath a neat wrapped knot. Two sliding knots at the back adjust the length; the maker gives it as 30cm. If you would rather wear a symbol than a map, the store's brass ankh pendant is made the same way. Care: brass darkens naturally over time; a soft dry cloth brings back the shine. Keep the cord dry.
Sold by AfroGlam Jewels • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Black and gold beaded spiral earrings, handmade in Kenya. Black seed beads are worked into a twisted column with two lines of gold beads winding around it from top to bottom, finished with a faceted black bead and a small gold bead at the tip. Neema means grace in Swahili, and this is a quiet pair: black and gold sits with almost anything, from office wear to an evening outfit. They are lightweight and hang from gold tone fish hook ear wires. The maker gives the size as 4.5cm long by 1.5cm wide.Handmade by Nekesa of Mulembe Beads, a Bukusu beadworker in Kenya. If you like black and gold but want a rounder, bolder shape, the Dhahabu flower earrings from the same maker are the better buy.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flower earrings in bright pink and white seed beads, built up in raised petals around a round pink pearl bead at the centre, on silver tone fish hook ear wires. A cheerful, feminine pair for summer, a pink outfit or a bridesmaid in pink. Waridi is the Swahili word for rose. White beads form the body of the flower and short rows of pink are looped across each petal, so it reads as a rose in bloom from across a room. The first photograph shows the pair on a plain background, and the two earrings differ slightly, as a handmade pair does. They match the maker's Pearl Twist Necklace in pink and white, and the two are also sold together as the Waridi Necklace and Earring Set. Care: keep them dry and away from perfume, and store them so the beadwork is not crushed.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade flower earrings in red and gold seed beads, built up in raised loops around a faceted pink bead at the centre, on gold tone fish hook ear wires. A bright, warm pair for a celebration, a wedding guest outfit or anything in red. Moto is the Swahili word for fire. Short rows of red beads are looped over a dense body of gold ones, so the flower flickers between the two colours as it moves, and the pink centre catches the light. The first photograph shows the pair on a plain background, and the two earrings differ slightly, as a handmade pair does. If you want the same flower darker, the Dhahabu earrings are black and gold. Care: keep them dry and away from perfume, and store them so the loops are not crushed.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade rope necklace of red, green, black and white pearl beads twisted in a spiral, in the colours of the Kenyan flag, finished with a silver tone lobster clasp. Made for Jamhuri Day, Madaraka Day, a Kenyan wedding or anyone who wants to wear home. Fahari is the Swahili word for pride. Bands of red, green and black pearl beads wind around the rope, each edged with small white beads the way the flag edges its colours in white, so it reads as Kenya at a glance without spelling it out. It sits close and full at the base of the neck. The first photograph shows the necklace itself, with the clasp at the top. If you prefer one colour with white, the same twist is made in pink, green, and black. Care: keep it dry and away from perfume, and store it laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring built from coffee brown buttons and a large gold tone hoop, with a second smaller button hanging inside the ring. If you want the scale of a statement hoop without a bright colour, this is the pair to reach for. Brown reads as a neutral against tan, cream, denim and black, where this maker's fuchsia rose pair and orange amber pair are deliberately loud. Pick those when you want the colour to do the talking, and this one when you want the shape to. Construction: a four hole button sits at the ear as the stud, a jump ring carries the gold tone hoop, and a second button, brown with a pale rim, hangs inside the hoop so it swings clear of the ring. About 7cm long from the top of the stud. Care: put them on after perfume and hairspray, keep them dry, and store them flat on the card they arrive on.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A wide brass cuff built from dozens of fine wires looped onto a single frame, so it wears like a stack of thin bangles but slides on as one piece. A real stack of that many bangles slips, rattles and takes a minute to get on, and this gives you the same armful of gold colour without the noise. A matching domed brass ring comes with it. The wires are drawn, shaped and joined by hand in East Africa, so the spacing varies very slightly along the cuff and no two are identical. The back is open, so you can ease it a little wider or narrower to sit where you want on the wrist. Keep it dry, and bring the shine back with a soft cloth.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Guide d'achat
Les bijoux proposés ici viennent de traditions distinctes, pas d'un style africain générique. Les perles maasaï du Kenya construisent la couleur et le motif à partir d'une perle centrale, et chaque couleur y porte un sens. Les manchettes et les bagues en laiton sont martelées et façonnées à la main. Les cauris, autrefois monnaie dans une grande partie de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, symbolisent toujours la richesse et la protection, et ornent manchettes, colliers et perles de taille.
Beaucoup de pièces sont vendues en parure : collier, bracelets et boucles d'oreilles perlés selon le même motif. Les parures offrent le meilleur rapport qualité-prix et font les cadeaux les plus simples, puisqu'il n'y a rien à assortir ensuite. Les pièces fortes vendues seules, une manchette en laiton ou un pendentif en cauri, prennent tout leur sens si vous possédez déjà des bijoux autour desquels les associer.
Les perles sont enfilées à la main : de petites variations dans leur placement sont la marque du travail manuel, pas un défaut. Le laiton fonce avec le temps ; un léger polissage lui rend son éclat si vous le préférez brillant, et beaucoup préfèrent sa patine.
Questions fréquentes
Sokofa (sokofa.com) vend des bijoux africains faits main par des artisans indépendants, en grande partie des perles maasaï et du laiton du Kenya. Chaque annonce indique le nom de l'artisan, les commandes sont expédiées dans le monde entier, y compris partout au Royaume-Uni, et le coût de livraison pour votre adresse s'affiche au moment du paiement, avant que vous ne payiez.
Les significations varient selon les communautés, mais les lectures courantes sont le rouge pour la bravoure et l'unité, le bleu pour le ciel et l'eau, le vert pour la terre, le blanc pour la paix et la pureté, et le noir pour le peuple et les épreuves qu'il partage. Une pièce combine généralement plusieurs couleurs au lieu de porter un seul message.
Les cauris ont servi de monnaie dans une grande partie de l'Afrique de l'Ouest pendant des siècles, et ils symbolisent toujours la richesse, la prospérité et la protection. C'est cette histoire qui fait qu'un seul cauri serti sur une manchette ou un pendentif est bien plus qu'un ornement.
Tenez les perles à l'écart du parfum et des crèmes, qui ternissent les perles et fragilisent le fil, et rangez-les à plat plutôt qu'emmêlées. Le laiton fonce naturellement en le portant ; polissez-le doucement avec un chiffon doux si vous voulez retrouver son éclat d'origine.
