Kora jewelry creates a collection from unexpected objects
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L.A.-based designers Maxandra Short and Amy Walker tap into unexpected materials that make their 2-year-old jewelry line Kora both eco-friendly and supportive of several communities in Africa.
The designers repurpose discarded cow bone from the Ankole cow (a common food source in East Africa), as well as the horn of the cow, to create their collection.
The metal used in the pieces comes from old car parts or pots and pans, which are melted down and used by the women to wrap around horn bangles or bone pendants.
They’ve recently collaborated on a necklace with “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” actress Rooney Mara, who works closely with a charity called Uweza. Uweza tries to stabilize the lives of families living in the Kibera slum in Kenya, the area where Short and Walker also employ a team of craftspeople to create a majority of the Kora line.
All of the proceeds from the sale of the necklaces will benefit Uweza. “We wanted to do something related to the area we were working in,” Short says.
The necklace has a pendant made from the Ankole cow bone, wrapped with recycled metal and retails for $95. Available at koradesigns.com.
Read more about Kora and other jewelry lines that utilize interesting found objects to create jewelry.
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-- Melissa Magsaysay