African jewelry – bright as life itself

Africans are very emotional. Therefore, it is not surprising that they always use rich and vivid language to express their emotions: their incendiary music, colorful African dances, and the most vivid decorations.

All these multi-colored and beaded bracelets, unimaginable earrings, strange necklaces, all this is not dressed and worn by chance. With their help, Africans demonstrate their feelings, convey their emotions.

In many African tribes, jewelry plays not only an aesthetic role but also a social one. The wearer’s social status depends on the jewelry, its appearance, color combinations, and how it is worn. And the decorations themselves are at the same time a certain kind of message.

For example, in the Zulu and Swazi tribes, when a girl falls in love with a guy, she gives him a handmade necklace made of beads. And he makes himself a belt and a bracelet of the same color as the presented necklace. Thus, everyone seeing the two colorful bracelets will be informed that they are a couple.

African girls often weave unique jewelry messages from beads, where the message itself encrypts in the form of various patterns and geometric shapes.

Among the Samburu tribe living in Kenya, braided necklaces made of beads can tell a lot about the owner: whether he is married or single, whether he has children, whether he is a warrior or a priest. And Samburu girls are considered practically naked at all if they are not wearing several kilograms of beads, which they wear on their shoulders in the form of numerous threads.

All women of the Ndebele tribe wear unique aprons with geometric patterns embroidered on them with beads, by which you can tell who it is: a girl of marriageable age, a married woman, or a married woman with children.

And the African Maasai tribe has as many as 40 words in their language denoting different types of bead jewelry. Adornment in the Maasai society is worn not only by women but also by men and warriors.

Maasai jewelry surprises its wide variety; it can be narrow braided headbands, various necklaces, belts, and bracelets. And all this is dressed and worn for a reason, but with meaning; for example, Maasai unmarried girls wear flat collars made of beads in red, white, and blue.

The traditions of African jewelry are vibrant and diverse.