Using the local 'horsebead seed' in our collection

The locally-grown 'horsebead' seed (named as such by the 'Saints') has made its way back into our collection again. Traditionally on St Helena, hand-made seedwork was a means of providing for families, where the women would sell their seed jewellery, mats & other seedwork to passing ships. Today, the tradition is somewhat being lost due to the time-intensive nature of working with seeds (most seeds on island have to be boiled first to soften them before you can work with them), but I'm trying to put a modern spin on using the locally named 'horsebead seeds' by incorporating it with semiprecious gemstones. You can find a few of these products in our online store <<HERE>>

Nature's perfect bead!

It grows on a long grass & is perfect for jewellery-making because unlike other seeds found on the island; it does not require boiling or using a needle to work with it. Instead, the centre is already hollow & doesn't take much persuasion for our metal bits to go through...very handy! The perfect bead!