A number of different entities manufactured the gold jewelry for Afridesia:
ALAN MAIR MANUFACTURING JEWELLERS
This is one of the largest and most high-tech jewelry manufacturers in South Africa with nearly 180 employees working in a state-of-the-art facility. Alan Mair manufactured gold beads for Julian, a range of jewelry for Clive and some broaches for Malcolm. Given its manufacturing capacity, Alan Mair produced all the findings and components for the designers' pieces.
ANDREAS SALVER MANUFACTURING JEWELLERS
A small (six jewelers) manufacturing jeweler specializing in complex, high-quality, handmade pieces, Andreas Salver manufactured most of Clive's complicated, multi-layered, "petal" jewelry.
PEARL AVENUE
Pearl Avenue is a small company with fewer than a dozen female African bead-workers. Combining traditional pearl-knotting techniques with African beadwork, they had the skills that were required to make the beads for Julian's "laurel" range. Special thanks to the African bead-workers: Angel Hlongwa, Mamsie Zuma, Ngenzeni Ngcobo and Maria Ngcobo.
LA VERDI
A high-tech company, with state-of-the-art computer-aided design (CAD) capabilities, La Verdi designed Malcolm's "fish-eye" jewelry. The items were designed and refined on computer, the moulds "grown" from computer and the products electroformed (a highly specialized technology). La Verdi also gold-plated the buckles, belts and sea "creatures" for Malcolm's "shell" range. The re-engineering and rapid prototyping center of Technikon Witwatersrand's Industrial Design Department was involved in the converting of the concept into CAD data. The facility was used to cut the tools for the prototype.
LIZA GOLDSTONE
A jeweler now living in London, with a unique technique (co-invented with Gavin Rajah) and signature style characterized by the use of tigertail wire and crimps, Liza Goldstone was sought out to design and manufacture Clive's "fuzzy mesh" collection in gold.
Julian's BEADING TEAM
The beading team at Julian's studio was commissioned to bead Julian's "suede and leather" collection with gold beads, as well as some of Malcolm's seaweed tattoos. Special thanks to Maureen Mndaweni, Gladys Mshibe, Magdaline Mampane, Cindy Lebogang and Jester Phahla.
