Africa Is In Style: Jewels Of The Kalahari

Written By: Nani Hapa—

Name: Jewels Of The Kalahari

Head Designers: Anna Haber, global director of marketing for emerald producer Gemfields, and jeweler, Sabine Roemer in collaboration with Bushmen women in Ghanzi, Botswana.

Style Notes: ingenuity, ostrich eggshell, handmade.

Background: For generations the Bushmen of the Kalahari have created one–of-a-kind intricate pieces of jewelry using wild seeds, sticks, bone, tortoiseshell, and most importantly of all, beads painstakingly hand made from shards of ostrich eggshell. Anna Haber and Sabine Roemer collaborated with the largely isolated Bushmen of the Kalahari to create a unique 19-piece collection of jewelry comprised of necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Why You Should Know Jewels Of The Kalahari: Beyond creating beautiful jewelry, the Jewels of the Kalahari collaboration is aimed at creating awareness of the Bushmen’s plight, who are among the are among the poorest and most disenfranchised in southern Africa. Jewelry making is an important source of income, particularly for the women, and the collaboration seeks to create a sustainable business for the Bushmen.

Online Stockist: brownsfashion.com

More Information: onefinethread.blogspot.com

(Photo Credits: Boo George)