The ancient art of silversmithing lives on in an African tropical paradise. Once lost in time… ancient traditions and techniques, dream-like designs. Hand-crafted by artisans on a remote, long-forgotten island. Centuries of Arabic, African, Indian and European influences exquisitely blended together to create intricate and sensual pieces that remained virtually undiscovered, until now.

Nestled away in the Indian Ocean Quirimbas Archipelago off the coast of Northern Mozambique, Ibo is an island of lost secrets filled with crumbling colonial mansions and undiscovered treasures like its exquisite silver jewellery.

For centuries, artisans on Ibo have been hand-crafting intricate and beautiful silver pieces that reflect Ibo's own rich history. It is believed that the silver tradition on the island dates back to the 12th century when Muslim explorers brought their culture and religion to East Africa. For the next 800 years, Ibo Island became a port of call for Chinese, Indian, British and Portuguese explorers. The coming together of peoples on this small trading outpost gave rise to a fascinating blend of cultures that is still visible in the designs of Ibo jewellery.

Ibo's ancient silver tradition continues today, with fathers passing on their craft to sons. There are about 40 silversmiths on the island, many of whom work out of Ibo's 17th century star-shaped fort. The silversmiths individually create each piece of jewellery by hand. Since their country’s independence in 1975, they have been melting down colonial-era coins as their source of raw material. The artisans now have access to a supply of sterling silver and, with the launch of Ibo Silver, will undoubtedly begin to receive the global recognition that they deserve.

The success of the jewellery collections will help to ensure that the silversmith tradition continues to be passed on to future generations, whilst having a positive economic effect on the island.

View accommodation at Ibo Island Lodge.