In South Africa, Mary Jean Jewellery is inspired by the patterns and symbols found across the African continent. Their current Adinkra Collection is based on and inspired by the Adinkra fabric symbols found largely in Ghana and parts of West Africa. CGTN's Yolisa Njamela has more.

 

Mary Jean Treloar is a jeweler who pours her passion for the African continent into precious stones. She describes her entity as a South African brand of fine, handmade jewellery, inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the bold, geometric patterns and meaningful symbols found throughout - and unique to - the African continent.

 

MARY-JEAN TRELOAR FOUNDER, MARY JEAN JEWELLERY I've been very lucky to grow up with parents and in a family that really loves Africa and specifically geology so from a young age we've just gone on geological explorations finding stones ourselves, cutting them, mostly within Southern Africa and recently Morocco, Madagascar. So through that I've just really always had love the African continent and had thirst to explore it a big more and learn about it.

 

One of her collections is inspired by Adinkra symbols. Each symbol has a meaning behind it and so all the handcrafted pieces have within them a story and a uniquely delicate yet bold design. Each piece is carefully made and finished by hand ensuring a high quality product.

 

MARY-JEAN TRELOAR FOUNDER, MARY JEAN JEWELLERY I came across the Adinkra fabrics when I was kind of starting my exploration for something to base my collection on and my godparents had lived in Ghana for a while. I found that each symbol is basically a proven on its own and it carries a large history and traditions with it. I wanted to just use that.

 

Treloar also emphasises that each piece is a nod to the African continent and the tales its symbols tell. It's also about more than shapes and angles and materials, it's about attention to detail.

 

MARY-JEAN TRELOAR FOUNDER, MARY JEAN JEWELLERY Its concept driven and we've actually taken symbols or patterns and we've reworked them. We've taken geometry and created something new from them but kind of kept their story in the jewellery. Interest is growing. It's starting to get a big of momentum so I do feel that we're growing and I feel at the moment there's a good drive for people to support local and with drive obviously we're growing within that.

 

For now, the collection is only for women. But there're plans to expand and create a men's range. And ensure that the jewelry pieces are not only available in South Africa but the rest of the continent and the world. Yolisa Njamela, CGTN, Johannesburg, South Africa.