The Mission
About Nubian Jewelry
The jewelry we choose to wear makes us feel unique and allows us to express our own identity. Custom-made cultural jewelry is rooted in your true self and can touch you in a deeper, more spiritual way. This cannot be found in generic, mass-produced jewelry.
Nubian Jewelry is African-inspired jewelry that offers originality and self-expression to people who appreciate handmade artistic crafts, like you! Our Jewelry is designed with all women in mind, and we draw from our deep cultural ties to Africa and our Nubian Tribe. The bright beads and colorful combinations often hold meaning besides just being beautiful and pleasing to the eye – much like women of all cultures.
About Sudan
Sudan is one of Africa’s largest countries and has more pyramids than Egypt. It was also home to one of the world’s earliest ancient kingdoms and has been inhabited since around 30,000 BC.
The diverse culture in Sudan can be seen through its microcosm of Africa, with extreme geographical locations ranging from sandy deserts to lush forests.
The most common dress for Sudanese women is a white or colorful long one-piece cloth that they wrap around themselves, usually covering their head and hair.
About the Nubian People
The Nuba live in the Nuba Mountains region in the southern and eastern sector of Greater Kordofan State, covering an area of about 30,000 square miles. The Nuba have been professional in agriculture and mining since the dawn of history, but now they have pursued various fields of work, as the early historians relied on their definition of the word “Nuba” to various sects, some of them said that the word is derived from the word “Nub” which means gold in the Pharaonic language Ancient Nubia was famous for its gold during the Pharaonic times, as this region was the only one that supplied Egypt with such huge quantities of gold. And some suggest that the word “Nuba” is derived from the Coptic word “Anouba” or “Anobades” meaning to braid, and in this case the meaning of “Nuba” is the one with braided hair.
The Nuba people have struggled over the years to get a good education under a very various difficult situations even at times of attacks by Al Bashir government. They started schools inside the caves, under the shadow of big trees and under big open verandas built of wood and grasses from the year 1980 until the present with only few teachers who had committed themselves to work for free to help those those generations get the best quality of education as far as they could and later there were few trained young volunteers who were to help cover the rest of classes but they still need books and school articles and materials.
Rihab Musa
Founder and CEO
Rihab Musa was born in Sudan, belonging to the Nubian tribe. She is a mental health professional. Her hobbies are watching Netflix and jewelry making. She started this business to challenge her creative mind.
Rihab's Story
“My family and I fled from the war in Sudan and came to America for a better opportunity. Coming to America at the age of 8 and not knowing any English or the culture, I immediately started to adapt to society. I saw that I was different and did not like it, so I started getting lost into actively trying to fit in. Doing my best to neglect my Nubian side to avoid getting bullied, resulted in an increase of anxiety and depression. I was ashamed of my accent, skin color, and most of all being different.
“In 2008, my family and I went back to my home country, Sudan. I witnessed all the beautiful rich culture, traditions, dances, and beliefs made me feel at peace. I automatically felt the love and acceptance that I deprived myself from.
“10 years later, I graduated with a master’s in counseling psychology. Although the work is very rewarding, I found myself feeling lost again in a world that was not focused on the appreciation of my ancestors. I wanted to find a way to bring out and share the uniqueness of where I come from with my brothers and sisters in Christ. At that moment, Nubian Jewelry was discovered. Nubian Jewelry business helped me challenge my creative mind while staying connected to my roots.”
