Zulu love letters

 

 Thursday 28 March 2013

 

 

The Zulu tribe of South Africa use beaded messages to communicate with their lovers. They achieve this by using symbols and colours that act as language and grammer that is deeply embedded in their culture.

 

I described in my last post the importance of the triangle shape and its position in beadwork. The colours used are another important way of communicating. Each colour has positive and negative meanings depending on how they are used within the beadwork. For example green in its postive context means contentment and bliss but the negative meaning is illness. Below is a list of colours with their positive and negative meanings.

 

          Positive                                                             Negative

 

blue - faithfulness                                                hostility, ill feelings

red - strong emotion                                            impatience, anger

black - marriage                                                  death, despair, sorrow

white - love                                                          no negative meaning

yellow - wealth                                                    malignant, evil

pink - promise                                                      poverty, hardship

A popular item of zulu beadwork exchanged between lovers is the Zulu love letter.

Zulu maidens bead special messages of love and affection and give it to their lovers. The boys wear them around their neck or pinned to their clothing. Each colour conveys a different meaning.
Red - Intense love
White - Purity and peace
Yellow - Jealousy
Green - I pine for you
Black - I am in depair as you have rejected my love
Blue - If I were a dove, I would fly to see you
Pink - Do you love me?

How do you communicate with your lover? Do you have a special language that is only known between the two of you?

 

Today many love letter pins are sold to the tourist trade and made to represent the flags of countries or to mark a special occasion.

 

Until next time,

 

www.amahlejewellery.com

 

 



Zulu people communicate through their beadwork

Thursday 21 March 2013

It's officially spring here in the northern hemisphere but spring has decided to be fashionably late. It is still so darn cold. I am wrapped up in layers of clothes and getting slightly fed up of wearing gloves and scarves all the time. So today I'm wearing these lovely beaded zulu stretch bangles. I love the colours and patterns and how the colours relate to and influence each other.

 

 

 

The Zulu African tribe of South Africa are well known for their exquisite and brightly coloured beadwork. Their jewellery is very unique and distinctive in its colours, designs and patterns.

Zulu beadwork is an integral part of the Zulu culture and is an important way for the Zulu people to communicate with each other and usually relates to courtship and marriage.

Many people including myself are not aware of the meanings behind the colours and shapes found on bracelets, necklaces, pendants and other pieces of jewellery.

 

A shape most often used by the Zulu in their beadwork is the triangle. The three corners of the triangle represent Father, Mother, Child. The way triangles are positioned in the beadwork also communicate different meanings. For example, a triangle facing downwards signifies an unmarried woman while a triangle facing upwards signifies an unmarried man. If they are joined along the base to create a diamond shape, this communicates a married woman. If the two apexes of the triangle are joined, this signifies a married man.

 

 

 

 Bead colours also communicate different meanings and can have positive and negative meanings. The seven main colours used in Zulu beadwork are green, blue, red, black, white, yellow and pink.

 

Not only is zulu beadwork beautiful but also very fascinating in how beads are able to communicate a wide variety of meanings.

 

Next time....the positve and negative meanings of colours in beadwork.

 

 

Until then

 

www.amahlejewellery.com

 



 

 

 

 

Wear green for St Patrick's Day

17 March 2013

Today I am wearing a green cuff bracelet to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

St Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on the 17th March. Named after Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, the day is celebrated by many people throughout the world with food, drink and all things green.

What though is the significance of wearing green on this day?

A couple of reasons exist. The colour green is one of the symbols of St Patrick's Day even though the colour of St Patrick is blue. In the 19th century the colour green became used as the symbol for Ireland. It is thought that the beautiful green landscape was the inspiration for the colour and because Ireland is also known as the 'Emerald Isle'.

Another reason cited is that the Catholic side of Ireland is identified as green and Saint Patrick is a Catholic saint credited for converting the island to Christianity. Protestants on the other hand are identified with orange and are often called 'Orangemen'. In Ireland, you only wear green if you are Catholic. Protestants wear orange.

Wearing the colour green is considered an act of paying tribute to Ireland and is also said to bring good luck to those who wear green on this day.

Will you be wearing green on this day?

Until next time

www.amahlejewellery.com

Coloured bridal jewellery

13 March 2013

Recently my younger sister got married. She looked radiant and glowing. Her dress was stunning with gorgeous embellishment on the bodice and shoulder straps. The crystal encrusted headband contrasted beautifully with her jet black hair. The dress was a clever choice and the embellishment rendered a necklace or bracelet superfluous.

 

Looking at her photographs got me thinking and I realised that many brides today still prefer to go the traditional route and choose to wear crystal or pearl jewellery.

 

For many coloured bridal jewellery is seen as somewhat unsuitable and perhaps slightly horrifying. To them it is comforting and easy to choose something that is considered classic and conventional. They would rather choose to add splashes of colour in the decor and flowers.

 

Colour in jewellery can create a striking and unique style. It can add a distintive and stylish elegance to the brides' overall look.

 

Colour is something that should be considered when choosing bridal jewellery,

 

According to the traditional saying - "add something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" - blue crystal jewellery can be the way to "add something blue"

 

 

Not only will colour look stunning, it will make the white or ivory of the wedding gown look that much brighter. Colour in the wedding jewellery can be coordinated with the bridesmaid dresses' or even with the bride's shoes. Why not consider red crystal jewellery with red shoes.

 

 

Or you can opt for something completely different and unique to show off your individual personality.

 

 

Until next time.

 

www.amahlejewellery.com/Bridal.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wearing colourful jewellery

9 March 2013

Colour is the new black!

Too much black and grey is depressing. We need more colour in our lives to inspire and uplift us and make us happier.

I love colour and one of the ways I incorporate it in my life is by wearing colourful jewellery.

 

Colour has enormous power to enrich our lives and affects our emotions, health, well being, mental state and energy levels on a conscious and subconscious level.

 

Wearing colourful jewellery conveys an adventurous personality. It reveals a fun side full of creativity and daring. People that wear colourful jewellery like to set themselves apart from the crowd.

 

Brightly coloured jewellery is not only for risk takers - they are for everyone. Here are a few ways you might consider wearing them.

 

Pair patterned jewellery and bold prints.

When wearing white or neutral colours choose jewellery in eye-catching shades like canary yellow, cerise pink or bright blue.

Experiment with colour blocking. Team a tangerine top and violet blue skirt with a jade necklace and turquoise coloured cuff bracelet.

When wearing classic styles like a black dress or darker coloured suits, add a touch of extravagance with lime green bracelets or a fire engine red necklace.

Printed sundresses go well with wooden bangles and necklaces in bright solid colours that match the dominant colour of the dress.

Brighten up pastel coloured dresses with pearl bracelets and necklaces in striking colours. There are many varieties of glass pearl jewellery available today in gorgeous striking hues that are very purse friendly. Try wearing a mint green twin set with amethyst coloured pearls.

Coordinate your colours. Wear a pair of brightly coloured jeans, neutral coloured top and match the colour of your jeans to your necklace and earrings.

Don't be afraid to clash colours. Wear red and pink together. Choose colours that have a high degree of contrast.

 

Use colour to express your unique self. Mix, match, experiment, explore.

 

Until next time.

Au Revoir

 

 

 

Beaded adornments for the hands

5 March 2013

 

It's all about the hands and today I am wearing another fabulous creation from my Zulu sisters in South Africa. I have named this exotic piece the Amahle hand bracelet.

 

It is handbeaded using high quality seed beads with the bracelet section fashioned using the traditional pondo stitch or African circle stitch. Beads are then stitched to the base and woven into interlocking diamond shapes and then attached to a ring of beads.

 

This hand bracelet is a variation of the 'slave' bracelet or ring bracelet. A 'slave' bracelet describes a bracelet that connects to an attached ring. The history and origins of the 'slave' bracelet are unclear but it has been suggested that the term derives from the idea of the relationship between the ring and the bracelet rather than any associations with slavery itself. This means that the ring and bracelet are 'enslaved' to one another and that they are chained to each other in a 'slave' relationship.

 

Explained in that way, it is easy to see why it could be called that, however I find the term quite offensive especially in todays time. It is simply not appropriate.

 

I've seen many striking examples, some made out of chainmaille, others even knitted and of course beautiful beaded varieties. Many of these hand bracelets are totally unique and often one of a kind.

 

Until next time

Au Revoir

 

www.amahlejewellery.com/bracelets2.html

 

 

Make your outfit wow with a statement piece

2 March 2013

The weather is warming up so I am wearing two layers of clothing as opposed to my usual four.
Today I am keeping my outfit simple but am wearing this striking beaded yellow gold and pink pendant necklace.

This type of jewellery is considered as statement jewellery. Generally speaking statement jewellery can be anything that tends to be bold, eye-catching and impactful.  Not only limited to neckpieces, these extend to attention grabbing bracelets, lavish earrings or voluminous rings.

Statement jewellery is a great way to 'zhuj' up an outfit and add an element of drama. It can turn an otherwise plain and simple outfit into something interesting and attractive.

A statement piece needs no partners, no friends. It works best alone with nothing else to distract from its vitality and impact.

If you shun brighter colours, a statement piece that is bright and colourful is an excellent way to incorporate a pop of colour into your wardrobe.

The best kind of statement jewellery to wear will be based on your own personal sense of style and be reflective of your personality. Wear something that you are attracted to  and that makes you feel fabulous and confident.

Until next time.
Au Revoir

www.amahlejewellery.com