96 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 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 multi strand Maasai style bead necklace that cascades from collar to chest. More than fifteen strands of glass seed beads in red, yellow, orange, blue, green, black and white are gathered into two flat woven bands, with a centre column of large diamond shaped beads running down the middle and silver tone chains and disc drops swinging along the lower strands. It fastens with small metal hooks at the ends of the woven bands. This is a statement piece for weddings, cultural celebrations, stage and photography, worn over a plain neckline so the beadwork does the talking. It is the boldest piece in this maker's range: if you want the same colours in a quieter form, the shop's beaded cuff bracelets carry them in a single band. Wipe with a dry cloth and store flat or hung so the strands do not tangle.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
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
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
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
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
Handmade beaded flower earrings in white seed beads, with gold beaded stamens radiating from a faceted gold centre, on gold tone hooks. Nuru means light in Swahili, and these are the brightest thing in the range. The petals are beaded solid while the gold runs out between them in fine lines, so the flower reads clearly from across a room rather than turning into a blur. White and gold is wedding and occasion territory. If you want the same flower in the Kenyan flag colours, the other Nuru Bloom pair is beaded in red, green, black and white. 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
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
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
Crafts
A pair of teardrop wooden earrings, each face hand drawn with a band of African geometric pattern and hung from a small white faceted bead. Light enough for all day wear. The pattern is worked freehand across the lower half of each drop, rows of circles, arcs and dashes, so the two earrings in a pair sit close but never match exactly and no two pairs are the same. The wood keeps its grain under a warm reddish finish. Each drop hangs from a wire wrapped loop on a silver tone fish hook. Handmade in Kenya. Keep them dry and wipe with a soft cloth.
Sold by Tribal Shop • 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
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 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
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 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
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
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
Six handmade beaded bracelets from Ghana, each in its own pattern. Each bracelet is a firm, round tube of small beads stitched closely together. There is no clasp, so each one slips over the hand. The patterns run from simple orange and yellow stripes to blocks of red, white, green and yellow, bright chevrons, and turquoise grounds dotted with tiny bead flowers. Wear one on its own, stack all six on one wrist, or split the set between friends as gifts. They are made by Ancient Culture, a Ghanaian artisan partner of Unite Root Africa in Nsawam. The set is assorted. The maker works with the beads on hand, so the six you receive will be in the same style as the photographs but not necessarily the same six patterns.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
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 four piece beaded jewellery set in royal blue, red and white. The set is a cape collar, a headband, a pair of fringe earrings and a hand bracelet, all in the same pattern of red and blue triangles edged with white. The collar sits round the neck as a band of triangles, with a beaded diamond at the centre front, and opens into a fringe of blue and red strands tipped with white that falls to a second diamond. The headband repeats the triangle band, the earrings are a red beaded diamond over a blue fringe on an ear wire, and the bracelet is a beaded cuff joined by a beaded strand to a loop that slips over a finger. The maker names the set Nomathemba, which they translate as Mother of Hope. It is made for traditional weddings, heritage days and formal evenings, and the blue and red reads strongly against black or white worn underneath. If you prefer a quieter palette, the maker's Imbasa set is the same four pieces in black and white. Hand beaded to order in South Africa from glass seed beads on jewellery thread, so allow 1 to 2 weeks before it ships. Keep the beadwork dry and wipe it gently with a soft cloth.
Sold by IzigiBeads • East London
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 chunky Maasai beaded bangle, glass seed beads wound solidly around a rigid core. You receive one bangle in the colour you choose from the picker. The photographs show the white one, its surface broken by narrow multicolour accent bands, and the same design is made in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The beads go right around with no clasp or opening, so it slips over the hand and sits with a pleasing weight; the maker gives the size as 20 cm around, so check it against a bangle you already own. Wear one on its own or stack colours, which is how they are worn in Kenya. Made by hand in Kenya. Wipe with a dry cloth and keep perfume off the beads.
Sold by Tribal Shop • 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
A handmade beaded bangle worked in black seed beads, with gold beadwork laid over it in a repeating leaf pattern and small faceted stones set into each one. It is the quiet one in this maker's range. The black ground keeps it wearable with almost anything, and the gold does the work, so it reads as jewellery rather than as craft, which is not true of every beaded bracelet. The bangle is closed rather than fastened, so it slides over the hand and there is no clasp to catch or fail. Dhahabu is the Swahili word for gold. The maker gives the diameter as 7cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the pattern will sit slightly differently on each one. Keep it away from perfume and lotion, which dull the gold finish, and store it apart from harder jewellery that can chip the stones.
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 on lilac purple, with yellow sawtooth points and bands of orange, green, turquoise and yellow. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Purple is close to unheard of in this kind of beadwork, and lilac more so. The traditional palette runs to red, blue, green, white and black, so a pastel ground like this is a modern choice rather than an old one. That is the reason to buy it. Almost nobody else will be wearing one. It behaves differently from the rest of the range too. Every other set puts bright colour on a strong ground, so the whole piece pushes forward at you. Lilac pulls the other way. The bands still carry orange, green and turquoise, but they sit on something gentle, so this reads as decorative rather than as a statement you have to commit to for the whole evening. The points are picked out in yellow here rather than black, which is unusual. Most of the beadwork in this range uses black to cut the ground. This one uses yellow, so the sawtooth reads as a warm flare instead of a hard edge. It sits well with white, cream, grey, denim and the softer summer colours. Against hard black it loses the point of itself. 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. Pale grounds mark more easily than dark ones, so put the set on last and take it off first. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in black, banded with red, orange, green, blue and white: a multi strand collar necklace, a matching bracelet and a pair of drop earrings. Black does something the brighter sets do not. It reads as jewellery rather than as costume, which means this one earns its place on an ordinary Tuesday as well as at a wedding. Wear all three pieces together when you want the full effect, or wear the bracelet and earrings on their own with a plain shirt and nobody would call it a lot. The colour sits in blocks against the black rather than running the whole way round, so the set has somewhere for the eye to land. The necklace fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it higher on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps, and the earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order. Every strand is strung by hand, so the spacing of the colour bands varies slightly from set to set. Care: take the set off before perfume, lotion or water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Lay the necklace flat or hang it rather than folding it into a box, so the strands do not tangle. A dry soft cloth is all it needs.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A wide handmade collar necklace in white and gold seed beads, netted into an open diamond lattice that fans out from the neckline over the collarbone and shoulders. It suits a bride, a wedding guest or anyone who wants one statement piece over a plain neckline. The neckline is worked in close rows of white with a fine gold line running through them. From there the beadwork opens into a lattice of white diamonds, with a single gold bead at every crossing and a gold drop at each point of the lower edge, so the collar catches the light as it moves. It fastens at the back with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, which you can see in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower on the neck. The maker gives the neckline as 36cm around and the outer edge as 90cm around. Amani is the Swahili word for peace, a quiet echo of the store's own name: mulembe means peace in Lubukusu. Care: store it flat so the lattice keeps its shape, and keep it away from perfume and water.
Sold by Mulembe beads • 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 waist beads in cream glass seed beads, on one long strand with orange, teal and pink butterfly charms and a gold tone screw clasp. The seed beads have a soft pearly sheen, so the strand sits quietly against the skin, and the three small butterflies add just enough colour to catch the eye. It is a simple everyday strand rather than a statement piece, easy to wear on its own or alongside other waist beads. The maker gives the length as 100cm. It fastens with a small screw clasp at one length rather than a tie, so measure round the point where you will wear it before ordering. Made by hand in Kenya. Take it off before swimming or bathing, and undo the clasp gently rather than pulling on the strand.
Sold by Tribal Shop • Kenya
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 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
A five piece Maasai beaded set in navy blue. One multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and a pair of drop earrings, strung by hand in Kiambu. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Navy is the one you can wear to work. The rest of this range is built to be seen from across a room, which is exactly right for a wedding and exactly wrong for a Tuesday. Navy does the opposite. It reads as jewellery rather than as an occasion, so it sits with a suit, a plain shirt or a dark dress without announcing itself before you do. It is also the easiest piece in the range to wear if you are new to beadwork. Navy sits close enough to black that the shape and the scale register before the colour does, so a collar this size stops feeling like a leap and starts feeling like a good necklace. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a 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 beadwork in the same 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. Every strand is counted out bead by bead rather than measured, so the beadwork 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
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 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
Beaded drop earrings built as a half flower: four padded petals in black, red, green and white around a coiled gold tone centre, edged bead by bead in gold and hung from a gold tone hook. Of the beadwork in this shop, this is the pair that says Kenya at a glance. The four petal colours are the four colours of the Kenyan flag and they are laid out plainly, so the piece is read across a room rather than explained up close. If you want that, this is the pair. If you would rather the colours were there without announcing themselves, the Infinity knot pair from the same maker sets the same colours into a knot that reads as a graphic shape first. Each petal is worked over a form so it sits domed rather than flat, with a raised line of gold beads down the spine and a picot edge of single gold beads all the way round. That edge is the slow part, added one bead at a time after the petal is finished. The beads are the small glass seed beads sold across Kenya as Maasai beads, which is the maker's own term for them. The flower pattern is the maker's own, not a traditional motif. Keep them dry, take them off before swimming, and store them flat so the petals keep their shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade drop earring built on a fuchsia pink button, with a pale pink rose and small green leaves hanging below it on gold tone wire. 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. If you want a piece that reads as flowers first and jewellery second, this is the one to pick. The roses are translucent, so they catch the light rather than block it, and the green leaves keep the pink from going sugary. Wear it against a plain colour and let it be the only thing going on. About 6.5cm 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
A wide, flat collar necklace netted by hand from white seed beads, crossed with diagonal stripes of gold coloured beads and fastened with a gold tone clasp. The beads are worked into an open lattice, so the collar lies flat around the base of the neck and lets a little skin show through the net. The gold stripes run the whole way round at an angle, which gives the piece movement without adding colour. White and gold go with almost anything, so this is the collar for a wedding, a celebration or a plain dark dress that needs one strong piece. The maker gives it as about 40cm long and 1.5cm wide. It closes with a lobster clasp between two gold tone ball ends. If you prefer a rounded rope to a flat collar, the Pearl Twist necklaces from the same maker are the other shape to look at. Care: keep it dry, store it flat so the net keeps its shape, and wipe it gently with a soft cloth.
Sold by Mulembe beads • 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 Accessories
Handmade beaded earrings worked as an interwoven triangular knot in black and gold seed beads, on gold tone hooks. The knot is the point of them. Three loops pass over and under each other so the bands appear to weave through, which gives the piece real depth at a size that stays small and light. It is a harder thing to bead than a flat panel, and it shows. Zuri means beautiful in Swahili. At 2.5cm square these are the everyday pair in the range rather than a statement, the ones that go on without thought and still look considered. The maker gives the size as 2.5 by 2.5cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the two knots sit slightly differently and neither will match the photographs exactly. Keep them away from perfume, and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Handmade beaded drop earrings in a pointed leaf shape, worked in white seed beads with a gold beaded outline and a gold line tracing the shape again inside, on plated hooks. Zuri means beautiful in Swahili, and these are the restrained pair in the range. There is no stone and no pattern, just two colours and a shape, which is why they carry from daytime to evening better than the flower pairs do. The drop is open at the centre rather than filled, so they are light on the ear and they move when you do. White and gold sits against almost anything, and it is the safer of the two colourways if most of your wardrobe is already busy. If your wardrobe runs dark, the black and gold Zuri is the better buy of the two. The maker gives the drop as 6cm by 3cm. Every bead is threaded by hand, so the two earrings differ a little from each other. Keep them away from perfume, and store them flat.
Sold by Mulembe beads • 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 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 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 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
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
Buying guide
The jewellery here comes from distinct traditions rather than one generic style. Maasai beadwork from Kenya builds colour and pattern outward from a centre bead, and colour carries meaning in it. Brass cuffs and rings are hammered and shaped by hand. Cowrie shells, once currency across large parts of West Africa, still stand for wealth and protection, and turn up on cuffs, necklaces and waist beads.
Much of it is sold as a set: necklace, bracelets and earrings beaded in the same pattern. Sets are the better value and the easier gift, since nothing has to be matched afterwards. Single statement pieces, a brass cuff or a cowrie pendant, work harder if you already own jewellery you want to build around.
Beadwork is hand-strung, so tiny variations in bead placement are a sign of handwork rather than a defect. Brass darkens over time; a gentle polish brings it back if you prefer it bright, and many people prefer the patina.
Common questions
Sokofa (sokofa.com) sells handmade African jewellery from independent artisans, much of it Maasai beadwork and brass from Kenya. Each listing names the maker, orders ship worldwide including across the UK, and the delivery cost for your address is shown at checkout before you pay.
Meanings vary between communities, but common readings are red for bravery and unity, blue for the sky and water, green for the land, white for peace and purity, and black for the people and the struggles they share. A piece usually combines several rather than carrying one message.
Cowries were used as currency across large parts of West Africa for centuries, and they still stand for wealth, prosperity and protection. That history is why a single cowrie set on a cuff or pendant reads as more than decoration.
Keep beadwork away from perfume and lotion, which dull the beads and weaken the thread, and store it flat rather than tangled. Brass naturally darkens with wear; polish it gently with a soft cloth if you want the original shine back.
