Shells & Natural Beads

Handmade shell and stone beads

Africans have always adorned themselves with shells and other natural materials and that tradition is still strong today.

Take, for example, the humble cowrie shell. It's used in jewellery and as an embellishment on textiles. Historically, it's been used as money. In fact, the Ghanaian currency - the Cedi - actually means 'cowrie'.

Also in Ghana, stone beads carved from bauxite are both ceremonial and practical: pregnant women wear bauxite beads as protection against evil words.