Instagram story viewer> @belovedbeadwork> Posts

Anna Richerby

@belovedbeadwork

3.2K

followers

1327

following

At Beloved we make beautifully hand woven items of adornment.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

These beauties were sitting together on our workshop table recently and I decided they deserved their own little photoshoot.

Pictured here are:
Iona Earrings in Gold and Slate (top)
Grace Earrings Stripe in Gold and Black
Ocean Floor Rings in Cream and Gold, Black and Silver and Black and Gold (left to right)
Grace Earrings Outlier in Gold
Thousand Hills Earrings in Gold and Slate (bottom)

When shopping on our website, please remember to look at the Current Offers page to find discount codes! taken in The Watershed V&A by @belovedbeadwork

29

0

3 months ago

Something that's always made me a little gleeful is that the phrase 'you snooze you lose' also rhymes in isiXhosa - 'walala wasala'.

The good news is that if you accidentally snoozed on our Buy One Get One Free sale on Grace Earrings in Classic Colours you didn't lose - I've extended the sale by another week! by @belovedbeadwork

7

0

3 months ago

These earrings have been in our collection for years. It has, though, taken me quite a while to get (almost) all of the colours we make onto our website! We have eighteen core designs which we make in eleven different colourways. So that's one hundred and ninety-eight pieces! Not including Grace Earrings, To Have And To Hold, Ocean Floor Rings... In theory I should cut down the colourways or the number of designs to make a more 'manageable' collection, but I just can't bring myself to. So please enjoy these Beloved earrings in their many colours. Which is your favourite? taken in The Watershed V&A by @belovedbeadwork

29

5

4 months ago

Thank goodness for lovely friends who have a keen eye! After I announced the June Sale last week I was surprised we didn't have more takers. Then a friend messaged to say that there was a fault with our dropdown menu, and I checked our 'abandoned carts' and saw an alarming number! I'm so sorry to those who had a frustrating experience trying to shop. Everything is fixed now, so please browse to your heart's content! taken in Cape Town, Western Cape by @belovedbeadwork

29

3

4 months ago

*The Short Version:*

I’m at our Watershed Shop today, please come to say hello if you are around!

*The Long Version:*

*On Business and Community*

Beloved was born at Montebello Design Centre. We started out in one shipping container, then grew to two, then three years later moved into our brick and mortar space in prime position. The connections we made there enabled our business to grow and succeed. More to the point, we were a part of a supportive community. As an Anglican priest’s daughter who grew up in a house that was the living centre of a faith community, being in community is a natural and important part of my life. In 2014 we expanded and opened our shop at the V&A Watershed.

The pandemic brought with it some surprises! Our NGO landlord was unable to offer more than a month and a half’s reduction in rent. Meanwhile, our big scary corporate landlord at the Watershed couldn’t have been kinder. From April 2020 onwards we didn’t pay any rent if we were closed, and once we reopened, we were offered incredibly generous reductions to help us get back on our feet. Experts were sought to offer us support and guidance, and they even offered loans to some local companies. I found community support in an unexpected place.

One of the closest friendships I had formed at the Watershed was my friend B. During the pandemic he housesat for me and cared for my dog, as I was stuck in the UK for sixteen months. A few months after my daughter was born, B was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 3 cancer. By the time I got home, we were figuring out what a dignified end of life would look like for him.

Continued in comments... taken in The Watershed V&A by @belovedbeadwork

90

8

4 months ago

It's sale time for our Classic Grace Earrings! Buy one pair get a second pair free! June only, online only. Why not buy one pair for you and one pair for a friend? Or, even better, but two for yourself. You can never have enough of these beauties.

Link in bio straight to their page in our online shop.

#brightenyourwinter #shesarainbow #belovedbeadwork #buyhandmade taken in Cape Town, Western Cape by @belovedbeadwork

24

0

4 months ago

Thank you so much @pamanasg for giving me a reason to go back into my studio. I miss it so much! We're wishing you all the luck and fortitude as you prepare for Boutiques! by @belovedbeadwork

46

4

6 months ago

A short reflection and update. My colleagues are wonderful. taken in Cape Town, Western Cape by @belovedbeadwork

33

0

7 months ago

I recently embarked on a little experiment to see how much time it would take to make a pair of these earrings, which are marketed primarily to tourists, and cost R195 at retail. The moment I saw the price I was alarmed; concerned that the maker would not have received even minimum wage for their work. There's no way to prove that they were underpaid, but I think the calculations show that it's pretty unlikely that they were.

A few notes:

You'll notice I say "our" about South Africa, and I do so with a very British accent! I've lived in Cape Town and volunteered and worked in the craft sector for the past twenty years, but I'm aware that I'm still an interloper! I feel very defensive of my adopted home, and the amazing crafters/artists/designers/heritage-protectors who aren't given the respect they deserve.

If you recognise where I bought these, please don't tag them. This is an industry-wide issue, not isolated to one shop.

I don't know who made these, but I want to be clear that I don't blame them for selling their work for so little money. Beaders are not the people controlling the prices here.

Please feel free to share (respectful) thoughts, questions and ideas in the comments.

#beadwork #beads #southafricanbeadwork #labourrights #culturalheritage taken in Cape Town, Western Cape by @belovedbeadwork

67

9

9 months ago

What a year it was.

The Year of Admin

A house bought for @woodsidescc to welcome volunteers.
A primary school place and a high school place for my children, close enough that I can drop them both off in the morning (you only know what a miracle this is if you'd dealt with the @wced_official )
Three new fantastic board members for @woodsidescc
The long awaited death of my car and finding its (hopefully better) replacement.

The Year of Study
Finally taking @kharnita.mohamed 's incredible Disability and Debility course, by which I am forever changed.
Finishing the final module of my MPH. A mini-thesis remains then I'll finally add some letters to my name!

The Year of Inspiration
I met @aminattaforna the same day that @zohrankmamdani was elected as mayor of New York.
My glorious goddaughter got through her matric exams with grace and serenity. I am forever in awe of her.
I reembraced a former love by turning my hand to making an adapted computer keyboard for a Woodside resident.
My incredible parents stood beside me this year, offering all the support they could to help me achieve what I hoped for.

The Year of global Beloved
The formidable Kristina @pamanasg brought Beloved to Singapore with such passion and beautiful presentation. I'm so lucky to call her a colleague.
And my beloved sister Jennifer opened @belovedbeadworknorthamerica .
My amazing nieces and I began the work of photographing, coding, quantifying and uploading every item we make at Beloved. 2026 is the year this work will be finished.

My fervent prayer for 2026 is more space for creativity. Hence these photos. A short while ago a friend told me she was resting close to the Blombos caves, spending her days collecting shells on the shore. I asked if she could find me any alikreukel shell mouth covers. She brought me a litre jar full back. I used to love beading these into pendants, and I hope I'll have the time to do so and many other creative projects too this year.

Happy New Year to our Beloved family, may this year be kind to you. taken in The Watershed V&A by @belovedbeadwork

36

2

9 months ago

The waterlillies in Green Point Park are glorious today. taken in Green Point Park by @belovedbeadwork

24

1

9 months ago

Today was a hot one in Cape Town. We decided the best plan was to head to the coolness and beauty of the Iziko South African Museum.

Picture 1: there's an extensive exhibition on rock art which I wish I had more time in (I was being dragged through by my five year old!). There was a really interesting use of ethnographic texts and contemporary practices to explore the themes within the ancient art.

Picture 2: alongside an exhibition on Tata Rolihlahla Mandela, who famously wore a similar collar to this at his 1962 trial, is this beautiful piece.

Picture 3: I appreciate that they stated 'Maker Unknown'. Too often the maker of beadwork isn't given thought even in museum collections. And shout out to our friend Steven Long!

Picture 4: ancient shell beads from the Blombos Caves.

Picture 5: more info on the Blombos artifacts.

Picture 6: A collection of loved and special objects in an incredible exhibition exploring themes of evolution, DNA, humanity, identity and belonging.

Picture 7: 1000 year old iron beads from Limpopo.

Picture 8: I'm fascinated by the IsiXhosa translation here. Often we hear the word instimbi used for the word bead, though amaso is also used (the singular of which word, iliso, means 'eye', which never ceases to fascinate me). To see them used together in this context is really interesting - if anyone has any insight on this translation I'd be very grateful. taken in Iziko South African Museum by @belovedbeadwork

22

0

10 months ago