Beads

Strings of brightly coloured glass beads are a trademark of Ghana. You can find them on sale by the beach, on the roadside, in upmarket jewellery shops, on the wrists and throats of men, women and children, interspersed with larger bright and unique stones or beads. Young girls and women also wear waist beads. Initially to a new eye, the locally made beads can look clumsy, but they grow on you. Some look like sweets, others are made from crushed sprite bottles. There is a bead market in Koforidua in the Eastern region that is meant to be amazing and where a lot of bead shops get their supplies from. Sadly I didn't make it there but did get some nice beads in Kumasi. I befriended the owner of the jewellery stand near Paloma, very close to my house, and have spent some satisfying times designing my own bracelets, necklaces and earrings as gifts to bring home. By the end of my stay, the owner was letting me bring my own beads and string them myself in his shop while he worked on more complex requests for me!

Selection of beads - the ones on the bottom left look like sweets!

Beads made from crushed Sprite bottles

Necklace and bracelet made and designed myself