Ras Dejen

Dramatic, ethnic and earthy, this intriguing necklace could be right out of an African museum exhibit. The soulful handmade cross from Ethiopia is harmoniously framed by a series of equally exotic beads of bone, resin, turquoise and brass. Natural hues of amber and ivory contrast with the equally natural, but darker tones of the batik brown resin, weathered turquoise and African brass. This rich necklace is also a balance of the ancient and modern with the antiqued metals and rough cut turquoise and bone having an aura of antiquity while the high polished amber resin and similarly shiny batik resin add a slight contemporary feel.

This silver cross is imported directly from Ethiopia and although this necklace is not sold as a one-of-a-kind piece, it in fact will be, as no two Ethiopian crosses will be the same. The crosses feature various designs and patterns with elaborate openwork of interwoven lines often symbolizing eternity. Originally the unique crosses are usually named after towns or provinces of the highlands and are either cast by the lost wax method or cut directly from a Maria Theresa dollar. Christianity was established in the Ethiopian Highlands in the 4^th century and since this time, Christian Ethiopians have been wearing these elaborate crosses as a symbol of their faith. I named this piece Ras Dejen after the highest mountain in Ethiopia.

The primitive and authentic bone beads are from Kenya and are hand carved from boiled, bleached cow bone, polished, and then buffed smooth making each bead completely unique. These particular beads are filled with wooden plugs that are drilled with holes in order to help maintain the shape.

Resin is a newer contribution to the jewelry industry, and I absolutely love it! It can be made to resemble expensive and/or hard to find materials and it adds its own soul and flavor to the design. In this necklace, the amber-looking beads are made from resin as are the imitation batik-horn ridged beads. In order to make these beads, tree resin is mixed with dyes and poured into molds to harden. Once solid, it is hand carved into various shapes and often buffed to a smooth finish. It is a long process that makes these beads valuable and not just because they are imitating other substances. Another benefit of resin is that it is extremely lightweight, so this necklace is much lighter than it appears with most of the weight coming from the bone beads.

The woven brass beads at the necklace ends are made in a village near Kumasi, Ghana. They are made, one by one, by weaving wax "wires" into a form, investing them in clay, burning out the wax and pouring molten brass into the mold. Each mold is hand made making each bead slightly different from the next. Although these appear to be ancient beads, they are actually newly made in Ghana. The brass rings are also African, from the Gongola State of Nigeria.

This African style handcrafted artisan necklace closes with a handmade hook and eye clasp and can be adjusted from 20 to 24" using the attached antiqued copper wire.