ABOUT

OUR BRAND

MARY JEAN is a brand of fine, handmade jewellery inspired by the beauty and simplicity of bold & geometric pattern. Each collection is the culmination of curiosity and craft, a collaboration of simplicity and symbolism, and a study in rich compositions that inform delicate design. Strong lines and bold geometry meet meticulous fabrication, making each piece equal parts effortless and exquisite, as understated for everyday as ‘statement’ for a special occasion. Each piece is a story, it’s about attention to detail, respect for a narrative and creating timeless pieces that merge style with substance.  If work is love made visible then MARY JEAN is love for mixed metals, delicately bold designs and quality pieces that you will treasure for years to come! 

 

“It’s about creating wearable art that I love and then sharing these pieces with the world in the hope that the inspiration and joy I find within the African Continent  transcends into every piece, becoming one of its wearer’s most treasured possessions.” – MΛRY JEΛN Founder, Mary-Jean Webb

 

HANDMADE BY MARY JEAN 

 

I grew up with a “curious mind, creative hands and a love of geology.” While learning how to set a gemstone I had found – during one of my many geological explorations with my Dad – into Sterling silver, I unearthed a spark for jewellery design and manufacture. It remained simply a spark, a hobby I dabbled in while I completed a BSc degree in Interior Architecture at Pretoria University (South Africa). Inevitably, the spark ‘became a wild fire that I couldn’t ignore’. So, I stopped ignoring it and embraced it wholeheartedly, completing a short beginners’ course in Jewellery – ‘to learn the basics’ – before I embarked on a self-taught journey of design and manufacture that affords me the opportunity to learn, design and create truly handcrafted jewellery everyday.

 

OUR CURRENT COLLECTION

Inspired by the visual symbols found largely in West Africa, originally created by the Ashanti, MARY JEAN brings you its debut collection from South Africa – The Adinkra Collection. A fusion of West African culture and South African craftsmanship, The Adinkra Collection borrows from traditional design to bring you handcrafted pieces that are as meaningful as they are beautiful. Why Adinkra? While Adinkra symbols, extensively used in fabrics and pottery, have a decorative function, it’s the inherent storytelling ability of each symbol that struck a chord with Me. Adinkra symbols are as much about patterns as they are about proverbs, as much about composition as they are about concepts – embodying evocative messages that talk to traditional wisdom, aspects of the environment and of life. Each and every Adinkra symbol has a distinct meaning much like each and every MARY JEAN piece has a unique tale to tell, making this West African aesthetic the ideal muse for the first MARY JEAN collection.