Floating Stone & Maasai Bead Necklace, Turquoise - Fair Trade Artisan Jewelry

Handmade by Maasai women in Kenya, this illusion necklace features brightly colored stones with Maasai bead accents, creating the perfect summertime accessory!  Each necklace is totally unique - so no two are exactly alike!

• Measures 18" - 20"
• Barrel clasp

Maasai beadwork embodies the whole of Maasai culture representing beauty, strength, tradition, warriorhood, social status and their deep love and devotion for their cattle.  The age old artform is practiced by women of the village who learn from their mothers, who learned from their mothers.  The women take small glass beads that are laid out on trays and string onto clear threading.  From here the designs and beauty explode to create bracelets, earrings, and necklaces.

Did you know each color has a symbolic meaning for the tribe?

• Red stands for bravery, unity and blood.  The red is for the slaughtered cow.
• White is for the peace, purity and health.
• Blue, signifies the energy and the sky. They believe that with the rainfall it is able to feed their cattle’s and provide proper infrastructure for them.
• Orange and Yellow reflect hospitality. Visitors are served cow’s milk from orange gourds.
• Green like the earth symbolizes health and land.
• Black represents the people and the struggles they endure.

All jewelry is crafted by women of the Maasai tribe in rural Kenya.  Fair Trade.

Your Purchase Provides A Fair Income + Benefits In Safe & Healthy Work Environments

❤︎ Working with 100+ carvers in Machakos, Kenya, Jedando Handicrafts markets handicrafts primarily made of wood & bone worldwide. But Jedando's mission extends beyond gorgeous, high-quality homewares. They focus on educating local crafting partners about reforestation, so raw materials can offer sustainable income for generations to come.

Natural & Locally Sourced Materials

❤︎ Olive wood bowls, salad serving sets & animal-shaped napkin rings are all hand carved — taking shape from pieces of olive wood, mahogany + mpingo, or "African Ebony."

❤︎ While wood carving provides the major income for many in the Machakos area, other craftspeople earn a living by enhancing the products, including painting napkin rings & carving discarded animal bone for handles of salad serving sets. Often the bone is "batiked" by placing wax on white bone & dipping the bone a dark brown/black dye, producing traditional and gorgeous African mud cloth patterns.

Be Careful Of Light And Heat

Just as the sun’s harmful rays can damage our skin, light and heat can affect a colored gemstone’s durability and color. Over time, and in excess, they can also fade or damage some gemstones, such as amethyst, kunzite, topaz and shell cameos.

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Beware Of Chemicals

Exposure to chemicals can damage or discolor precious metals – gold, silver and platinum – and may harm some colored gems. Even everyday substances like hairspray, lotion, perfume or other cosmetics can contain chemicals that will permanently damage the surface of your jewelry.

Fine jewelry should be removed before diving into a chlorinated swimming pool or before using household cleaners. Many of these cleaners contain ammonia, which can be too harsh for delicate gems or vintage jewelry. Chlorine bleach, another common household solvent, can pit or damage gold alloys.

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The Safest Cleaning Methods Are Usually The Simplest

Most colored gems can be cleaned with warm water, mild dish soap (no detergents) and a soft brush. A pulsed-water dental cleaning appliance and a soft, lint-free cloth can also be used.

Be sure to rinse your jewelry in a glass of water to remove cleaning solutions, since you risk losing loose stones – or even an entire piece of jewelry - if you rinse directly in the sink.

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Safely Store Your Jewelry

Proper jewelry storage is often overlooked. Jewelry should never be tossed into a drawer or on top of a dresser − that’s asking for scratches and damaged gems.

Most jewelry pieces are sold in a box or pouch, which is a perfect place to keep them. Sterling silver, for example, should be kept in an anti-tarnish bag or cloth. Jewelry boxes with individually padded slots for rings and posts for hanging necklaces and bracelets are also ideal.

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Who Are Jedando Handicrafts?

❤︎ Working with more than 100 individual carvers in Machakos, Kenya, Jedando Modern Handicrafts markets wood and bone African handicrafts worldwide.

Your Purchase Makes 3x Real-World Impacts:

1. Every treasure on our store is socially responsible — ethically produced by artists, makers, crafters and creators paid fair wages in safe and generous working environments.

2. Every treasure has local & sustainable giveback baked in through our partnership with Buy1Give1 — so your purchase directly impacts people's lives, helping communities across the world thrive.

3. Every treasure = 1 tree planted through our partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project — if you purchase 3 treasures, we plant 3 trees, because less isn't always more.

Everything we buy is a vote for the world we want to live in...

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