Turquoise Maasai Beaded Necklace, Bracelets & Earrings Set

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.