African jewelry has a special place in traditional and daily life in Africa - in religion, rituals, and ceremonies. In African tribal jewelry history, necklaces were seldom just ornamental.

Handmade tribal African necklaces were used for trade, in exchange for cloth, and in social occasions, such as a dowry.

African jewelry is worn by men, women, and children, often from an early age, and later replaced at status events, such as puberty, reaching manhood or marriage.