Fighting Monkeys and Fair Trade Jewelry

At www.World-Shoppe.com, we try to unearth some wonderful handmade and fairly traded treasures. When we received a batch of jewelry from artisans in Kenya recently, we were thrilled because the necklace was one of our best sellers.

We were fortunate enough to get another shipment of these gorgeous necklaces as well as a matching bracelet! As I put on our Web site product description, if you were even thinking about purchasing this necklace (and matching stretch bracelet) for either yourself or as a gift, I recommend you act quickly because the artisan group is discontinuing these pieces.

So why does our subject line reference fighting monkeys? Well, the 12 inch choker features 8 strands of Ndlongwe seeds – yes, seeds. The tree from which Ndlongwe seeds are harvested is found in the dry lands of the eastern part of Kenya, a place known as Kitui. It is a very rare tree, so rare that the number can be counted. Once the fruits are ripe, local women collect them and remove the skin and the seed. The seeds are left to dry and then strung on a piece of thread and sold to willing buyers. As there is very little economic activity in this part of Kenya, the income generated is used to buy food and other basic human needs by the women engaged in this kind of business.

The biggest setback here is that the tree bears fruit only once every year, usually between June and August. Monkeys also are partial to the fruit (can you imagine fighting a monkey to get your raw goods?). The string used in this necklace is also eco-friendly as it is recycled from old motor vehicle tires. The small rings are from 18 gauge brass wire which artisans make at the Jacaranda Workshop. They also make the brass tube and spiral (which can expand to make the necklace a little longer) at the end of the necklace. A knot is made before and after each seed with a ring on either side.

So, if you're partial to fair trade jewelry that is also a conversation piece, look no further - this necklace and bracelet were made with you in mind! But, act quickly because once they are gone, they are truly gone!

Handmade by our artisan partners in Kenya, you can find the necklace here: http://www.world-shoppe.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=mas_nck29&type=store and the matching bracelet here: http://www.world-shoppe.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=mas_wjb03&type=store.

Thanks for letting us share this fair trade story with you!

Until next time,

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com