Sterling Silver Ndoro Single Band Ring

We draw on the Ndoro, an ancient Zimbabwean symbol, for this chunky sterling silver ring.

The Ndoro is a symbol that I have always been fascinated with, even more so when I did some research on it.

Apparently, during the height of the Monamtopa Kingdom, sometime between the 14^th and the 17^th centuries, it was worn on the forehead or on the chest by the people of this kingdom.  The number of Ndoros a person had indicated their wealth, status, and authority in the community.

Originally, it was made from a seashell, but when the Portuguese traders in the 16^th century realized its value, they started to make them from porcelain and ceramic and used them to trade in our area.  So most Ndoros that you will find from that time in Zimbabwe are in fact man-made.

Symbols of a similar pattern are found in many cultures around the world.