Hand-beaded in Kenya, these circular statement earrings pair quadrants of black glass seed beads with warm gold-tone beadwork radiating from a hammered brass shilling at the center. The piece carries the rhythm of East African beading traditions, where pattern and color tell a story through painstaking handwork.
- Material: Glass seed beads with brass / copper / bronze metalwork
- Size: 2"(Plus Hook) x 2"
- Details: Quartered black and gold-tone beaded disc encircling a hammered brass shilling medallion; gold-tone ear wires
- Origin / Craft: Handcrafted in Kenya using traditional bead-on-frame techniques
Part of the Sanaa collection — a nod to art and craftsmanship. Each bead is threaded by hand around a wire armature, giving the disc its sculpted, almost woven dimensionality. The contrast of dark glass against antique brass-tone beading makes the geometry of the design read clearly at any angle.
Care: Wipe brass gently with a soft dry cloth; avoid moisture to protect the beadwork threading.
design: Bold circular statement earrings with a quartered disc of black and gold-tone glass seed beads radiating outward to encircle a hammered brass medallion at the center, finished with gold-tone ear wires.
size: 2" (including ear hook) x 2" wide disc.
material: Black and gold-tone glass seed beads with a hammered brass centerpiece; brass, copper, and bronze-tone metal accents.
features: Quartered black-and-gold beaded pinwheel pattern, hammered brass medallion with stamped detailing at the center, bead-on-frame construction for a sculpted, dimensional disc, gold-tone ear wires
care: Wipe the brass medallion gently with a soft, dry cloth and keep the earrings away from moisture to protect the beadwork threading.
disclaimer: Because each disc is hand-beaded and every brass medallion individually hammered and stamped, slight variations in bead placement, tone, and medallion texture are part of the piece's handmade character.
The Story
The quartered, pinwheel-like arrangement of black and gold-tone beads is a hallmark of East African beadwork, where geometric division of a circle into color blocks is a common way to build pattern out of thousands of tiny individual beads. Rotating the disc shows a different balance of dark and gold in each quadrant, so the earring reads as a clean graphic shape up close and a warm shimmer of color from a distance.
At the center sits a hammered brass medallion with light stamped marks, shaped like a coin and named for the shilling, East Africa's historic currency. Coin-like forms have long been repurposed by beadworkers in the region as centerpieces precisely because their round shape and worked metal surface pair naturally with the beaded disc growing around them.
This piece is part of the maker's Sanaa collection — sanaa is Swahili for art or craftsmanship — a naming choice that puts the emphasis where it belongs: on the skill of laying each bead by hand rather than on any single symbol or meaning.
A beader in Kenya builds each disc using the bead-on-frame technique: glass seed beads are threaded by hand, row by row, around a wire armature, with the black and gold-tone beads worked in blocks to form the quartered pattern rather than embroidered onto cloth. That threading is what gives the finished disc its raised, almost woven dimensionality rather than a flat surface. Separately, a metalworker hand-hammers a brass disc and stamps simple marks into its face before it's set at the center of the beaded frame and fitted with gold-tone ear wires — two crafts, beading and metalwork, meeting in a single earring.
Craft & Materials
- Made In: Kenya
- Craft Tradition: East African bead-on-frame beadwork
- Ideal For: Someone who wants a graphic, lightweight statement earring with handworked texture
- Wear It With: Pairs well with solid-color tops and minimal jewelry so the beaded pattern stays the focal point
- Purpose: Everyday statement wear, dressing up a simple outfit, gifting
- Metal: Brass, with copper and bronze-tone accents
Questions & Answers
How are these earrings made?
Each disc is built using the bead-on-frame technique, where a Kenyan beader hand-threads glass seed beads in rows around a wire armature to form the quartered pattern, while a separate hammered brass medallion is stamped and set at the center.
What is the brass medallion at the center?
It's a hand-hammered brass disc with light stamped detailing, styled after the shilling coin — used here as a decorative centerpiece rather than actual currency.
What size are these earrings?
Each earring measures about 2 inches long, including the ear hook, and 2 inches across the beaded disc.
How do I care for the beadwork and brass?
Wipe the brass gently with a soft, dry cloth and avoid moisture, which can loosen or discolor the bead threading over time.
Will the two earrings look exactly the same?
They'll match closely in pattern and color, but since each disc is hand-beaded and each medallion individually hammered, expect small natural variations rather than machine-identical uniformity.
