Kazuri produces handmade, hand-painted ceramic beads and jewelry in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. Each bead is shaped by hand, without the aid of moulds or forms, by one of the over 250 local women employed by Kazuri. The beads are then polished and kiln fired, painted and fired again. Lady Susan Wood founded Kazuri in 1975. Observing that many women in the villages around Nairobi were nearly destitute, she and two Kikuyu women organized a ceramic workshop and taught jewelry making to the poor - the instruction continues to this day. Kazuri has been able to expand while still retaining its philanthropic roots. The workshop is still located on a portion of the farm once owned by Karen Von Blixen, of 'Out of Africa' fame, at the base of the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi. Kazuri means small and beautiful in Swahili, the language of Kenya. Please note that, as all Kazuri products are handmade, slight variations in color and shape are inevitable. Indeed this is what makes Kazuri so appealing to all who make and wear jewelry. Just click on a bead below to see a larger picture. You can order the bead from that page. |
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