African-Inspired Bone, Brass, Leather and Amber Chunky Necklace

Bold and primitive in style, this soulful neck collar will add an exotic atmosphere to anything you wear with it. Lying close to the neck, this lush and earthy design will look great in anything from a bathing suit to jeans and a blouse to a business suit, making you feel strong and passionate. This unique collar-style necklace could have almost just been unearthed at an archeological dig or taken from an African museum display. 

Gorgeous rugged bone beads from Kenya are the main element in this neck collar. These authentic bone beads 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. The brown beads undergo the additional step of batiking. I named this piece Nairobi after the capital of Kenya. 

The deep brown and white disc beads are also bone that has been dyed and then cut to reveal the natural bone underneath. The amber color beads are imitation amber made from tree resin. 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. These beads add a little modernity to this otherwise very rugged and ancient-style necklace. 

Fantastic woven brass beads at the necklace ends are made in a village near Kumasi, Ghana, adding even more African soul to this designer necklace. 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 large brass ring is also African, taken from old leather belts found in the Gongola State of Nigeria. 

This original handmade necklace is strung on leather cord and closes with a large brass lobster clasp. It can adjust in length from 15 to 19 inches. Although not considered one-of-a-kind, no two necklaces will be alike.

• Kenyan white bone beads
• Kenyan batik brown bone
• Amber resin
• Carved bone rondelles
• African woven brass beads
• African brass ring
• Leather

Length: 15" + 4" extender

* I make every piece of jewelry myself with gemstones and natural materials I get from all over the world. Due to the nature and availability of the materials, each piece of jewelry will vary slightly from the original. Every piece will be equally beautiful and every piece is an original work of art.