South Africa retains its title as the world's major producer of diamond jewelry, with Kimberly Mines producing almost 95 percent of the world's diamonds. It boasts the world's most famous diamonds, such as the Victoria diamond (469 carats); the Centenary diamond (599 carats); the Golden Jubilee diamond (755 carats); the Excelsior diamond (995 carats); and the Cullinan diamond (3,106 carats). South Africa is also a popular producer of gold jewelry. This goes back to1886, when gold was first discovered in Johannesburg.
Egyptian jewelry makers ("mesneshdy") have been using a variety of stones, metals, minerals, animal products and man-made materials to make some of the world's best jewelry since about B.C. 1000. The jewelry includes gold and silver bracelets ("menefret"); rings made of stone, gold or horn; gold signets; beads; Egyptian filigree earrings made of gold and silver; gold and silver cartouche, pendants and chokers. Egypt also produces spiritual jewels that have symbols the Egyptians identify with specific gods and magical and healing values. These include amulets, Egyptian cartouche, gold bands and gold vests ("kirdan").
Ghana has taken Africa by storm with its unique brand of jewelry called Krobo beads. These colorful jewels are made by recycling glass, such as broken car windshields or bottles. The artisans in Krobo create these beads by melting glass or bottles and then firing the beads in kilns before decorating them with color.
Multistrand glass beads have made Mali one of Africa's much-hyped jewelry producers. The colorful glass beads are strung on camel leather and then converted into bracelets and necklaces. In Mali's capital city of Bamako, artisans also produce pendants and earrings made from recycled brass radiators.
Rwanda has taken a stride in innovation art by producing jewels designed from paper. The papers are sliced into triangular lengths and widths and then rolled into beads. Rwanda also produces beads made by sewing threads of rayon around sisal fibers in patterns that produce tightly woven beads of different sizes.
The Maasai women in Kenya design some of the world's most dazzling collections of beads. Maasai beads have been crafted since the 19th century as a means of expressing identity. Kenya also produces Juzi beads from recycled magazines, as well as Kazuri beads made from porcelain. The jewelry in Kenya comprises bangles, pendants, earrings and anklets.