Kazuri & Ceramic Jewelry Gallery

Miriam selects only the most amazing Kazuri and other Ceramic Beads for her Kazuri & Ceramic Jewelry Collection…Always creating just the right design to compliment the beautiful bead shapes and colors. Some are designed with semiprecious gemstones or fine glass accents, and sterling silver or handwrought bronze. Kazuri is the Swahili word for “small and beautiful.” Although not all small, Kazuri Beads are beautiful and colorful. The Kazuri story began when Lady Sara Wood and two African women began making the beads in 1975 on the lawn of Isak Dinesen’s Kenyan coffee plantation, the same plantation pictured in the well-known movie “Out of Africa.” Today this bead business offers employment and income for more than 200 Kenyan women living near the foothills of Mt. Kenya. The women are often the sole providers for their children and families.These amazing artisans shape each bead by hand from clay. The beads are fired, painted, fired again and glazed, and then fired again in an electric kiln. Up to five different colors may be used on one bead to create the pattern, and no two beads are exactly alike. Kazuri's beautifully finished beads are made to an international standard. Kazuri is a member of the Fair Trade Act.

Miriam’s Kazuri and Ceramic Necklaces are all one-of-a-kind pieces, many created with Semiprecious gemstones. Matching earrings and bracelets are available for some of the necklaces by Special Order only, and depending on the beads available.There are many beautiful Kazuri designs, shapes, sizes and color combinations, including some large pendants. The photo below shows only a small sample of Miriam's Kazuri Collection - and she is always adding more!