Back to collection
Three-strand blue recycled glass bead necklace with a brass turtle and toggle clasp on black
Close-up of the lost-wax cast brass turtle on blue glass beads
Woman in a floral dress wearing the blue Grand Lagoon necklace

Grand Lagoon Necklace

Grand Lagoon Necklace

Three strands of handmade glass beads in royal, soft and deep blue, gathered by a small brass turtle set to the side. The beads are made near Accra, Ghana, from discarded glass bottles, melted down and shaped by hand in moulds.

The turtle is cast by brass-smiths in Kumasi using the lost-wax method. The clay mould is broken each time to free the ornament, so every turtle is one of a kind.

The slightly irregular beads give the necklace depth and expression.

Details vary slightly from piece to piece.

Materials: recycled glass, recycled brass

Length: 48 cm end to end

Clasp: brass toggle

Care: polish the brass with a soft cloth, which will be added to your parcel

€165,00
€165,00
VAT included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
Three-strand blue recycled glass bead necklace with a brass turtle and toggle clasp on black
Grand Lagoon Necklace
€165,00
€165,00
View full details

Who made it?

The artisans behind your product

A dense, colorful display of coiled beaded bracelets or necklaces made of small round beads, arranged in overlapping bundles of blue, purple, yellow, green, pink, brown, black, and white.

Our partner

Out of fascination for the west African beading tradition, we started working with two artisan groups in Accra and Kumasi during a field trip in 2024. One is based in the outskirts of Ghana's capital and recycles glass bottles to a myriad of colourful shapes of beads.

A man in a blue traditional outfit sits on the floor of a bead stall, working with a large blue bag filled with colorful beaded necklaces. The background wall is covered with rows of hanging multicolored beads.

Modernity & Heritage

All across Ghana, textile and beading vintage pieces can be discovered, showing the extraordinary craftsmanship of West African artisans, some reminiscent of the early trade connections to Europe, such as beads from Venetian or Bohemian glassmakers, wax fabric from Indonesia over the Netherlands to be reinvented West Africa. These red vintage beads have become part of our collection, as a limited series.

A man wearing a purple tank top sits cross-legged at a wooden table, crafting small orange beads with his hands. The table is covered with yellow cords, blue and purple beads, and other jewelry-making materials.

Lost Wax casting

In the former capital of the Ashanti kingdom, known for its refined and unique goldsmiths, we have collaborated with two brass artisans who still master the craft of lost wax casting: every piece is formed in wax and later casted with recycled brass. The mould only works once, which is why every single piece is one-of-a kind.

A collection of small brass turtle figurines and decorative hardware pieces arranged on a weathered wooden board, with a blue bowl of coins or disc-like pieces at the top and a patterned yellow-and-white fabric at the bottom left.

Unique skills

The incredible skills of this artisans collective, operating from the brass village at the outskirts of Kumasi is humbling. Every single element was formed by hand, then covered with clay, dried, recovered and then burnt. The void gets filled with liquid brass which then cools down and gets cracked open. The mould breaks and the final piece appears to get polished to be mounted on your necklace.