Beautiful beads from Kazuri jewellery
I've got a confession to make, and I'm not proud, but here goes: I'm generally very disappointed with Fairtrade jewellery. I don't know why this is, but I think it's to do with the styles you generally find - they look cheap, but they're not. I love Topshops Made range, but am sorry to say I can't afford it. Maybe it's a result of being exposed to the masses of cheap knock-offs of fashion jewellery that are done so well by certain high street stores we've all been in, even if they're aimed at kids?
Anyway, my quest for wearable Fairtrade jewellery came to a happy end last week during my visit to the Eden Project, where I spotted these fabulous beaded necklaces from Kenyan ceramic jewellery label Kazuri.
Kazuri means 'small and beautiful' in Swahili, and that's certainly true of these bracelets and necklaces. They sparkle, they shine, they feel wonderfully heavy, and they come in all kinds of colours that you won't find elsewhere. Each piece is handmade in Nairobi, Kenya, and the beads are shaped by hand by one of 200 local women employed by Kazuri. The beads are then kiln fired once, glazed and fired again before being strung.
They can be purchased online at Kazuri's site.
