Gold Plated Sterling Silver Adjustable Ring with 3.80 cts Spessartite Garnet Set in Ostrich Eggshell and Gold Plated 5-Cent British East African Copper Coin.
A fragment of East African history is reimagined in this one-of-a-kind statement ring, bringing together an original 1964 East African five-cent coin, a vivid 3.80-carat spessartite garnet and SuhaniMara’s signature ostrich eggshell.
Issued by the East African Currency Board, the 1964 five-cent coin belongs to an important period of political and cultural transition, when the countries of East Africa were entering a new era of independence. Its design marked a departure from earlier colonial coinage, removing the portrait and crown of the British monarch. Instead, the denomination appeared in both Swahili and English “Senti Tano” and “Five Cents”while graceful elephant tusks framed the coin’s distinctive central opening. Once an everyday object exchanged across East Africa, it now serves as a small, tangible archive of the region’s evolving identity.
The original a copper coin has been plated in gold, illuminating its time-worn markings while preserving the character of its past.
Beside it sits a 3.80-carat spessartite garnet, prized for its intense orange colour and warm flashes of amber, fire and sunset gold. Spessartite is a natural member of the garnet family, distinguished by the presence of manganese, which creates its characteristic spectrum of colour from golden and fiery orange to rich reddish orange.
Named after the Spessart region of Germany, where it was first identified, this gemstone is admired for its brilliance, clarity and vibrant warmth. The most intensely coloured orange examples are sometimes known as “Mandarin garnets.” In this ring, the generous spessartite glows like an East African sunset, symbolising creativity, vitality and the courage to move forward while remaining connected to the past.
The garnet is set within natural ostrich eggshell, a signature SuhaniMara material celebrated for its subtle texture, organic beauty and deep connection to the African landscape. Its soft ivory tone creates a striking contrast with the saturated orange gemstone and the warmth of the gold.
Handcrafted in gold-plated sterling silver with an adjustable band, this ring brings together precious material, natural texture and cultural memory. It is both adornment and artefact, a historic East African coin transformed into a bold contemporary piece, allowing its story to be carried forward and worn anew.
