Twiga

Exotic, unusual and enticing, this awesome African-inspired necklace is truly a unique piece of artisan jewelry. Luscious giraffe-print batik bone beads and brilliant orange and yellow beads combine together to create an intense and vivid eye catching neck piece that will bring curiosity and cultural richness to your wardrobe.

The captivating bone beads are hand-carved and batiked in Kenya from cow bone giving this necklace true African soul. Giraffes live in East Africa and are native to Kenya which is famous for its amazing wildlife safaris and national parks. With both the beads and giraffes themselves coming from Kenya and Swahili being the national language of the country, I have named this piece Twiga, which is the Swahili word for giraffe. And what a cute name!

The large orange bead measures about 30mm in length and is handmade of tree resin. Most of the resin beads I obtain are from Indonesia, but I am not sure of this particular bead’s origin. Resin beads are created by extracting resin from trees, coloring it, pouring it in molds and letting it harden. Once hardened, it is cut into the desired shapes and sanded smooth. Each bead is made individually so no two are exact.

Bright, bold and shiny, the beautiful yellow beads are enamel-coated terra cotta beads from Greece. These unique beads are hand-formed, kiln-fired and coated with a thick enamel glaze giving them a brilliant shine and "liquid" look. The antique wooden-like spacer beads placed throughout the necklace are handmade in India from water buffalo horn.

The use of natural leather cord enhances the earthy design and colors of the necklace and adds a ruggedness to the piece. This stunning handmade necklace closes with a brass lobster clasp and ring and can be adjusted from 16 to 20 inches using the attached antiqued copper chain. You may be interested in the lush Twiga bracelet made to accompany this neckpiece.

I currently can make two of these necklaces and I will continue to recreate this magnificent design as I am able to obtain the necessary materials, but it will certainly be limited as the beads used are not readily available.