Kaolack Créations
Adjustable African Copper Ring – Six Handmade Designs
Adjustable African Copper Ring – Six Handmade Designs
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- Free shipping on orders of €70 or more (France and EU)
- Shipped from Paris, with tracking
- 14 days to change your mind
- Pay in installments: Alma, Klarna or PayPal
Six rings, six words. Each carries a name from a language of the continent, and each name says something about the form it draws on the finger.
Copper — Pērēm in Wolof, like our bracelet of the same name — is a living metal. It darkens, lightens, and keeps the trace of the hand that wears it. These six designs are shaped one by one in Moustapha's workshop, a jeweler in Dakar.
No size to choose
All six rings are adjustable and can be worn on any finger. The band is open: you tighten or widen it with your fingers until it sits without pinching. Nothing to measure before ordering, nothing to select at checkout, and the same ring moves from the little finger to the index as the day takes you.
That is also what makes it an easy gift: no finger size to guess.
A metal of protection
In Africa, copper has never been an ordinary metal. In Senegal it is one of the three metals of the Lamou Ndiaxass, the bracelet placed on a newborn's wrist in the first days and never taken off: it is the union of the three metals that protects. There is also a children's version, worn from birth.
Among the Dogon of Mali it is associated with water and light, and so with life in motion. Elsewhere on the continent it is said to purify what it touches — water, a space, the person wearing it. To wear copper against the skin is to take up for yourself what generations have entrusted to this metal. We tell that story in detail in our article why wear a copper piece, and how it is made in our guide to the African copper bracelet.
The six designs
- Lisanga — "gathering" in Lingala. Its two joined lines speak of union.
- Medji — "two" in Yorùbá. Two different forms that answer and complete each other.
- Oshupa — "moon" in Yorùbá. A large openwork circle, like a halo.
- Matimba — "strength" in Xitsonga. Three structured bands, solidity and power.
- Ankh Ka — "life and vital force" in ancient Egypt. The Ankh cross joined with the Ka, the vital essence. Found alongside our Kemetic jewelry.
- Djigui — "hope" in Bambara. A twisted thread that crosses itself and carries on.
The essentials
- Adjustable, any finger: an open band set by hand, no size to choose
- Copper, shaped and polished by hand
- A copper strip of about 7 cm laid flat, coiled into an open band — the length varies slightly between designs
- Handmade in Africa, in Moustapha's workshop in Dakar
- Unisex, except Oshupa, drawn for a woman's hand
- Shipped from Paris, with tracking
Copper, a metal that moves
Copper does not stay still. Over the weeks it darkens, takes on a deeper tone, then lightens where it rubs. This patina is not a flaw: it is the ring taking the measure of the person wearing it. If you prefer the shine of the first days, it comes back with a few seconds of polishing.
Care
A little metal polish on a soft cloth is enough to bring back the shine. Take the ring off before showering, swimming and washing up: copper likes neither chlorine nor household products. Store it away from damp.
Moustapha's workshop
Moustapha works in Dakar, on the corniche, next to the artisans' village. He also shapes our bracelets, sterling silver rings and bronze earrings. Each ring is made by hand, one at a time: two examples of the same design are never perfectly identical.
Fair pay
We work with each artisan directly, over the long term, and we pay the price they set.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose my size?
There is no size to choose. The band is open: you gently tighten or widen it with your fingers until it sits without pinching. The ring fits any finger, and you can move it from finger to finger whenever you like.
What if my hand is very slim, or very broad?
The adjustment covers a wide range of finger sizes, in both directions. Copper is a supple metal: it takes being reset several times without damage.
What does Pērēm mean?
It is the Wolof word for copper. We gave it to our pure copper bracelet, and it is the material shared by this whole range.
Does copper really protect?
That is what traditions have attributed to it for a very long time, and that is how we speak of it. We sell no ritual, no blessing and no promise: the ring carries an intention, that of the person who puts it on.
Can several be worn together?
Yes. The six designs stack well together, and go with our other copper jewelry.
Is it a man's or a woman's piece?
Five of the six designs are worn by either. Only Oshupa, with its large circle, is drawn for a woman's hand.
Can I give it as a gift?
Yes, and it is the ideal gift when you do not know the ring size: the open band adjusts to the hand. For a man, Lisanga, Medji, Matimba, Ankh Ka or Djigui; for a woman, all six designs, including Oshupa. Shaped by hand in Dakar, it carries an intention, that of the person who gives it. You also have 14 days from delivery to change your mind.
See all our African rings · The three-metal Lamou Ndiaxass bracelet · The Pērēm copper bracelet
Kaolack Créations
Kaolack Créations offers jewelry and clothing made in Africa, in direct contact with the artisans. We work with each of them over the long term, and we pay the price they set. Find us at kaolack-creations.com and at Kama The Shop, 51 rue Vauvenargues, Paris 18th.
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