Kazuri (Swahili for “small and beautiful”) beads are handmade ceramic beads made in Kenya, and not only are they beautiful, they have a great story behind them. In 1975, Lady Susan Wood started a small bead-making company to employ two disadvantaged Kenyan women. That enterprise has grown over the years into an operation that...
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Archive for October, 2007
Kazuri Beads – An African Fair Trade Success Story
Guide to blue gemstones
Blue happens to be one of my favorite jewelry colors, and my customers tell me I’m not alone Those of us who love blue have a lovely selection of gemstones available to us, and I’ll bet you haven’t even heard of some of these!
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Buying fine handmade jewelry from non-US artists
As a USA based artist, I find it important to mention that not all fine jewelry artists are in the USA, and not all makers of handmade jewelry in the USA produce quality pieces. One of the glass lampwork bead makers I most admire is Gail Kopps in Germany, and one of the finest...
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Labor ethics and jewelry purchasing
Handmade jewelry constructed in China and other emerging-economy countries is often the product of exploited and low-paid workers, who are often subject to unpleasant and unsafe working conditions. When you purchase a piece of fine handmade jewelry sold directly by the artist or from a gallery commissioning their work, you know that the artist...
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Disposable vs. Fine Jewelry
Why spend more money on a piece of fine jewelry made from solid sterling silver, real gemstones, or other premium materials when you can pick up a mass produced imitation? The casual observer won’t be able to tell the difference, so why spend the extra money? Not so very long ago, this is how...
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