How To Create An Authentic African Look

Post category:Beauty / Fashion / Jewellery
Post published:July 1, 2018
Post last modified:June 21, 2020
Post author:Jaclyn A. Neeley
Reading time:7 mins read

Handmade African jewellery is currently in the midst of a huge comeback. More and more celebrities are being seen adorned with tribal necklaces and earthy artisan accessories. The authentic African look is perfect for this season – it’s lightweight, it’s exotic and it’s unique.

Not only will it make you look cooler than a whole tray of martini flavored ice cubes, it’ll make you feel good too. There’s nothing like a quality piece of handmade jewellery – it just makes a woman feel special.

Table of Contents

Create An Authentic African Look – How Possible To Do Easily?

You don’t have to be a ‘hippy’ or an ‘eco-warrior’ to care about the sustainability of your jewellery. The next time you pop into town for a high street necklace or a pair or earrings that are bound to break after a night – listen to your fashion conscience.

Why not try handmade? If you’re big on the exoticism and the wonder of the authentic African look, you can’t wrong with artisan pieces, says the eBay guide to buying handmade jewellery. Here’s what you should be looking out for. Follow these simple fashion guidelines and you’ll be rocking the look in no time.

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Colour

Colour is very important when it comes to creating an authentic African look. Think earthy tones and you’re on the right track – lots of greens, browns, oranges and ochres. Mercury News journalist Angela Hill suggests reading up on the use of colour in traditional African art and rituals. For example, brown is used to represent the dry, hard nature of the African continent.

Green stands for the occasional bursts of plant life that emerge from the plains and azure blue is commonly used to represent the big, blue sky. Almost every colour present in African jewellery is used for a reason – why not does some research behind the use of colour before you buy your statement pieces?

If a fellow diner or party-goer ever asks you about your authentic African necklace, you’ll be able to tell them exactly why it was created and what it means.

Shape

In a lot of ways, the shape is even more important to authentic African jewellery than colour. Once again, the use of a certain shape or shapes has almost certainly been carefully considered by a designer.

Circles and ovals are hugely prevalent amongst African pieces – as shapes, they stand for fertility and fecundity. It makes sense for these two to be the most commonly used shapes in the design of African jewellery, says EHow.com journalist Krina Chires.

After all, what could be more important in a country like Africa than encouraging the rains to come and the crops to be fertilized? The circle or oval can also be used to represent the sun – a constant part of life in Africa. If you want to get the authentic African look, try picking handmade African beaded jewellery pieces with rounded edges and curvy shapes.

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Medium

Handmade African pieces come in a variety of different mediums and materials but there are some that are a little more authentic than others. Be careful to avoid anything too flashy –African women would never wear expensive jewels, especially diamond. Interestingly, indigenous people actively passed diamonds by because they thought them too colorless.

Choosing overly flashy pieces could ruin your look. If you are a fan of precious stones, stick with lapis lazuli, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. As for the main bulk of your pieces – choose natural, earthy materials like bone and ceramic. The more subtle, the better.

Conclusion

When it comes to channelling the exotic spirits of old, knowledge can make an awful lot of difference. Being in the know about a particular piece can mean the difference between you unsuccessfully aping a look and you rocking it like you’ve never rocked a look before.