Handmade in Namibia by the local rural community in the Waterbury conservancy. Beads are hand carved from ostrich eggs and wood.

Pattern #6: Ostrich egg and wood beads - Necklace length 17"
Pattern #7: Ostrich egg white and dark brown - Necklace length 17"
Pattern #9: Ostrich egg and wood beads - Necklace length 17"
Pattern #12: Ostrich egg and wood beads - Necklace length 18"
Pattern #13: Ostrich egg white and brown - Necklace length 18"
Pattern #14: Ostrich egg white and brown - Necklace length 18"
Pattern #15: Ostrich egg white and brown - Larger beads - Necklace length 19"
Pattern #16: Ostrich egg white and brown - Larger beads - Necklace length 17"
Pattern #17: Ostrich egg white and brown - Larger beads - Necklace length 19"

According to archaeological studies, ostrich eggshell bead making is over a 40,000 year old tradition.
Ostrich egghsell jewelry has been worn as ornamentation and often given as gifts for thousands of
years. The process to create the intricate jewelry is very time consuming, as each bead is hand made
by the San Bushmen. The San Bushmen are the oldest inhabitants of Africa and many still maintain
a similar lifestyle to that of their ancestors from thousands of years ago. Ostrich eggs are broken into
shards and then further broken into smaller pieces. Each piece is then hand shaped into beads and
holes are drilled into the center of the shell beads using hadmade tools specifically created for the job.
Finally, they are strung onto a rolled sinew thread and rubbed down to smooth and polish them. The
Bushmen artisans use natural dyes to color the beads in different shades of black and brown.

When you purchase this item your money goes directly to conservation efforts in Namibia, Africa. The Cheetah Conservation Fund buys directly from Namibian craftspeople at fair trade prices and invests profits from this item back into community development.