by Nicole Nanetoi, Assistant Lodge Manager, Saruni Samburu
Summary
- Samburu jewellery represents identity, status, and cultural heritage through bead colours and design
- Red symbolises cattle and life, white purity, green pasture, and blue water
- Jewellery differs by age, gender, and marital status within Samburu society
- Each piece is handcrafted by local women, preserving tradition across generations
Introduction
Samburu jewellery is more than adornment—it is a living language of identity, culture, and tradition. Worn daily and deeply embedded in community life, each bead, colour, and design tells a story about status, age, and heritage. In this guide, Nicole Nanetoi shares an authentic, first-hand perspective on the meaning behind Samburu jewellery, offering insight into one of Kenya’s most visually striking cultural traditions—best experienced through Basecamp Samburu and its immersive Samburu cultural experiences.
What Is Samburu Jewellery?
Samburu jewellery is traditional beadwork worn by the Samburu people of northern Kenya, often encountered during authentic Samburu safari experiences. It reflects cultural identity, social status, and life stages through intricate designs and symbolic colours. Each piece is handcrafted by local women and worn as a permanent expression of heritage.
We all marvel at the beauty of the Samburu people: festooned in necklaces, chains, floral headdresses and colourful bangles. But it’s not just beauty for beauty’s sake. It all has a meaning in their ancient culture. Samburu assistant manager, Nicole Nanetoi shares her knowledge with us in this Q&A below.
Jewellery Differences Between Samburu Men and Women
Q. How does jewellery and body decoration differ between the Samburu men & women?
A. Men are divided into 3 categories:
- Young boys aged 2-13 yrs: wear a plain green-coloured piece necklace around their neck.
- Warriors aged 14-30 yrs: wear colorful necklaces with a chain across their chin to indicate that they are single.
- Junior & senior elders 31 yrs. onwards: wear a few, less bright necklaces.
Left image by Dirk Rees Photography
A. Women are divided into 2 categories:
- Young, unmarried girls: wear plain, red-coloured, heavy necklaces;
- Married women: wear colourful, heavy necklaces with a simple necklace on top with white and red beads, and a pair of earrings with ancient beaded & aluminum rings.
Left image by Pedro Rueda, guest
Right image by Janine Krayer, Pangolin Safaris
Where Samburu Jewellery Is Made
Q. Where is the jewellery made, and who makes it?
A. In the local village, made by the local women.
Materials and Craftsmanship Behind Samburu Beadwork
Q. Where do the beads come from?
A. We have a small cowrie shell called ‘sikirai’ that comes from the ocean, and some are glass beads.
Q. How do they get their colour?
A. They are dyed by the manufacturer.
Images by Maike Tornquist, guest, Janine Krayer, Pangolin Safaris and Maike Tornquist, guest
Samburu Women & Jewellery
Q. What is the difference between what a young woman wears and what an older woman wears?
A. The colour of their beads. The young women wear plain red-beaded necklaces and the older women wears multi-colored necklaces.
Q. Why do the women have such large holes in their ears?
A. For the earrings that they are given on their wedding day.
Q. Why do women wear so many necklaces?
A. For the beauty and also to make rhythmically moves when dancing to the traditional songs.
Images by Maike Tornquist, guest
Q. Do they ever take the jewellery off?
A. No, not at all.
The Meaning Behind Samburu Jewellery Colours
Q. Does the selection of colours mean anything – or is it a personal preference?
A. The Samburu are butterfly people and it has a meaning: green for the pastures, white for purity, red for our blood from cows, yellow means harmony and blue means water.
Cultural Significance of Headwear and Symbolism
Q. What is the meaning of the ladies’ headbands? Some have long centre-pieces, some have short ones?
A. It is part of the beauty in a woman, it symbolises the beauty in the brains. Long centre pieces are for first wives whom are sent to Mt. Ololokwe (the Samburu sacred mountain) to worship Enkai while the short centre-piece symbolizes the second or third wife.
Left image by Cheryl Smith, guest
Right image by Abinya R Odour, guest
Jewellery in Marriage and Ceremony
Q. When marrying, do the bride and groom wear different items than what they usually wear?
A. Yes, the bride puts on a cows’ hide painted with red ochre while the groom ties some cows skin on his wrist and arms.
Q. Why are the earrings sometimes attached to the necklaces?
A. This is to avoid them getting lost because it symbolises a very bad omen to the individual.
Right mage by Dirk Rees Photography
Samburu Men & Jewellery
Q. What is the difference between what a ‘moran’ wears and what an ‘elder’ wears?
A. Morans (14-30yrs old) wear colorful necklaces with a chain across their chin to indicate that they are single. Junior & senior elders, until they die, wear a few less-bright necklaces without the chin chain.
Q. Do they ever take it all off?
A. No, never.
Q. Does the selection of colours mean anything – or is it simply personal preference?
A. Yes, they have a meaning: green, yellow, white, red = pasture, harmony, purity and the blood which is part of their meal respectively.
Left image by Dirk Rees Photography
Middle image by Cheryl Smith, guest
Right image by Gerhard Swanepoel, Pangolin Safaris
Q. What about the different types of headwear for boys and men?
A. The moran have nice extensions, beads and feathers arranged from the forehead to the nape while elders have a string of beads of four rows across their forehead.
Life Stages and Identity Through Jewellery
Q. How does this change throughout their life stages?
A. When morans graduate to junior elders that is when they change their headwear.
To end this colourful insight into the Samburu and their jewellery, see it all in its splendor in this hypnotic video below by the talented Dirk Rees, photographer & videographer.
