BambooNaija BackStory: Kimzol Jewelry

Posted by Edward Majeks 

“Kindly pass the chain-nose crimp plier”.
The BambooNaija.com team is at Kimzol Jewelries, makers of Kimzol Hand-Crafted Beads as part of efforts to connect customers with the backstory of Nigerian brands whose products are sold on BambooNaija.com
We listen to the Founder of Kimzol, Mrs Tolu Omololu who is hard at work with her team of bead-makers to craft the perfect jewelry piece. We notice that she’s hand-on, not just leaving the pieces to her team to create but actually sitting with them around a mahogany table which looks like it started life as a dining table but is now a table upon which beauty comes to life.

“I started making beads as a hobby. I am an Engineer and I work full-time in one of the Multinational companies in Nigeria. I taught myself how to make beads by buying several books on beading (we counted over 50 books on the subject in her office), bought several DVD’s on beading styles, and

downloaded several apps on my iPad. I also attended some beading classes in Nigeria, but over time, my teachers started asking me to teach them how to do certain things. I do still attend specialized classes for specific designs but I’m treated like a peer now.”
We ask Tolu how she manages to be a full-time employee, take care of her family and still create beautiful jewelry pieces for her large clientele base.
“I really don’t know. Sometimes I close from work, go through Lagos traffic, take care of my family’s needs, complete pieces which have been dropped off for inspection by my team to the early hours of the morning or even start new pieces based on inspiration. My husband is the best! He’s very supportive of what I do. I guess I have passion so I don’t see it as work. God has been graceful and I’m able to do a lot over weekends as well”.

Our next question is where she gets the bead-stones from. ‘I get beads from a variety of places. Luckily, my job takes me to many countries around the world and I make sure I get precious & semi-precious stones from each country. What that means is that our customers enjoy a unique blend and variety which is not obtainable anywhere else. For instance we can create a necklace with components from Nigeria, Kenya, Thailand & the UK to create a stand-out unique design piece you cannot find anywhere else. We make regular pieces for casual wear as well as bespoke pieces for weddings and special events.

On how financially rewarding Kimzol Jewelries has been, she opens up her laptop and shows us her BambooNaija vendor dashboard with live sales details. We are not able to disclose amounts for confidentiality purposes. However, let’s just say it’s nice to have earned a few million naira from making jewelry.
Kimzol makes bead-based bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings for easy-wear, office-wear, as well as luxury customized fashion pieces. Each piece is meticulously put together and hand-crafted to perfection. Prices range from N500 (Five hundred naira) to N350,000 (three hundred and fifty thousand naira).