Jewellery: Beloved Beadwork A Love For All Things Beads

Beloved Beadwork [South Africa]

[Image credit: Thousand Hills Elements Necklace – Beloved Beadwork]

Armed with a needle and thread I remember trying in vain to emulate the bead creations I so admired from local traditional beaders across Southern Africa; I thought it would be easy, but a lack of patience and immense frustration saw me quickly abandon my meager efforts. So when I see stunning contemporary creations from innovative creative business’ like Beloved Beadwork all I can do is scratch my head and ask myself ‘how did they manage to do that!!!’ …I am in awe of the skills. Beloved Beadwork as the name suggests was born out of a love for all things beads; collecting them, making them and creating beautiful objects with them.

For centuries throughout South Africa, and indeed many parts of the African continent beadwork has often been expressive; a form of visual communication through the individual colours and patterns used. Based in Cape Town, South Africa Beloved Beadwork is a small business whose aim is to bring back the passion, excitement and innovation to the local contemporary beadwork scene, and more importantly, is a commercial business working to change local and international perceptions of predominantly black women working within the craft sector. Led by Anna Richerby a team of twenty-two, working onsite and from home, handcrafts intricate jewellery pieces that possess a striking visual aesthetic. Taking on a quality not unlike finely crafted metalwork such as filigree, those tiny glass beads are transformed into highly-innovative precious objects.

[Image credit: Iona Cloisters Elements Necklace – Beloved Beadwork]

Beloved Beadwork continually strives to push the boundaries of what can be achieved within their beadwork; subtle colour palettes shimmer and shine as the glass beads capture and reflect the light adding a luxurious touch to the quality of the designs. Beloved Beadwork’s ethos includes: ensuring that all pieces are not only technically brilliant but also hardwearing given how fragile beadwork can be, one hard tug on a bead string and you can find yourself in a pool of beads; elevating beadwork to a prestigious art form; and playing their part in showcasing the ability and potential of the African continent to the wider world. In recognition of this, Beloved Beadwork made its catwalk debut earlier this year when the company accessorised the collection from South African fashion label Mantsho during South African Fashion Week. 

[Image credits: top, Twelve Apostles Necklace; 
bottom, Floral Kingdom Necklace and Earrings – Beloved Beadwork]

If you are keen to take up beading yourself Beloved Beadwork offers an extensive ten-week course for budding bead weavers where you can learn some of the fundamental stitches to apply to your own beadwork projects, and may you fair better than I did!

…beautiful beads reworked into chic contemporary collections

Additional details:
Prices range from: ZAR160-ZAR1440/USD$20-USD$200
For further information about Beloved Beadwork visit: www.belovedbeadwork.co.za
If purchasing from South Africa visit: shop.belovedbeadwork.co.za
If purchasing internationally visit: www.supermarkethq.com