Looking through magazines and browsing bustling markets such as the popular Balogun Market one thing is clear: African jewellery has many forms and are made in different materials and fabrics. There are rows and rows of stalls waiting to be discovered filled with jewellery created out of a mixture of fabrics. That made me think: Are some jewellery pieces more ‘African’ than others? Would we think that a dainty set of sterling silver earrings could be African in origin when set next to a coral necklace? Will we be right in thinking that a necklace made out of wood and cotton fabric was created by an African artisan and not in a workshop nestled in a sleepy European town? Does it really matter to us if it is African or not?
The beauty of technology, cheaper travel and social media is that consumers and jewellery artisans are constantly being inspired by what’s new and that could be what’s new in Lagos or London or even Dubai! The result is that jewellery pieces are always evolving,after all beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and once you fall in love, the jewellery piece’s origins matter not. The lines are now blurred but we don’t care!
See if you can spot which of the pieces are African made and which aren’t…good luck! We definitely needed it!
XOXO
Zinny's Box Blog/ Discover Modern Elegant Jewellery at www.zinnysbox.com/ Follow Us on Instgram @zinnysbox 