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A thousand-year-old craft among Morocco’s Amazigh tribes, jewelry has long been worn alongside traditional dress. These adornments, fibulae, diadems, bracelets and earrings, were crafted in villages and medinas by artisans who drew on motifs inspired by nature, local beliefs and the land, blending spiritual and aesthetic influences.
Having grown up immersed in this culture in Marrakech, writer Ifri, who is now based in the United States, is helping to tell the story of this heritage. Through her social media channels, she offers an anti-colonial perspective on North Africa’s past, notably by shedding light on these jewels passed down from mother to daughter, which she says have «always served as a bank». «The pieces contained in the ‘tawenza’, worn around the head, were used in times of crisis and reflected the household’s wealth», she tells us.
A lifelong admirer of Amazigh jewelry, Ifri first discovered it through oral tradition, learning a great deal from her aunts. «I also learned from local people during my holidays in Agadir and in the highlands of the Souss, and through collectors», the writer said in an interview with Yabiladi.
Bringing the jewelry home
After moving to the United States, Ifri's interest in Amazigh jewelry deepened to the point where she made it her mission to collect as many pieces as possible, hoping one day to return them to their homeland. «My interest took on another dimension when I repeatedly came across these pieces in vintage and antique shops. They are lost here, sold in private markets and exhibitions. So I began collecting them to bring them back to Morocco», she told us.
In her videos on the subject, Ifri showcases some of the pieces she has acquired in the United States. Her aim is not only to raise awareness of this ancestral craftsmanship, but also to highlight a know-how that deserves to be preserved while explaining the symbolic and historical significance of its uses. Among the motifs most frequently found is the Amazigh and Tuareg cross, known as the Agadez or Agdz cross, she explains.
«The Amazigh cross is the subject of archaeological research, as it has been found in Amazigh caves in southern Morocco and Algeria. It is an astral symbol rooted in key elements of ancestral culture, particularly the number four, in reference to the seasons, agriculture and the cardinal points.»
Used in particular as a compass, the cross was worn throughout the region long before the arrival of Christianity. «It also appears in Amazigh pottery dating back to the period of trade with the Phoenicians (1200–332 BC), as well as in ancestral tattoos, tapestries and textiles», Ifri says. «It has also been found on tombs from Mauretania Tingitana, which shows that it was used in ancient times, contrary to some colonial narratives that link it to Christianity», the writer explains.
Ifri further supports this interpretation by pointing out that «the Tuareg, who also use this cross, were first pagans and later Muslims, and rebelled against the Romans, which undermines any possible link with the Christian cross». The Amazigh version also appears in the form of «Boughdad», one of «more than 21 regional variations» associated with «the land, protection, nature, fertility, fecundity and spirituality, among many other meanings depending on the tribes».
Motifs that reflect local culture
Other recurring motifs found in ancestral jewelry include the pigeon’s foot, the eye, the hand and coins, as well as geometric shapes such as diamonds, which symbolize the earth, and triangles, associated with fertility, femininity and the cycle of life and death. According to Ifri, many of these symbols draw inspiration from representations of Tanit that have endured throughout history.
As for materials, while gold has certainly been used in jewelry-making over the centuries, silver has remained the metal of choice. According to Ifri, «gold was used more in Fez and the surrounding cities, while silver has always been the reference metal, particularly because it carries significant spiritual value». Ancient tribes favored silver, she explains, because «jewelry did not serve solely an aesthetic or decorative purpose».
In Morocco, where Amazigh culture traditionally values restraint over displays of wealth, silver was preferred for these pieces, which «also served as defensive weapons for women, hence the need to make them from a metal more durable than gold».
«Over the centuries, religious interpretations reinforced this practice. The Tuareg are said to have transitioned from gold to silver, taking into account certain interpretations regarding the use of metals as ornaments by men. More broadly, Amazigh regions developed their own manufacturing traditions, and some pieces of jewelry are even named after their territories.»
These include Tiznit, Taroudant, Guelmim, Taliouine, Agdz, Agheddou and several villages in the Agadir and Marrakech regions, as well as the medinas. Distinct traditions also emerged in the High Atlas and Middle Atlas, with symbols and uses varying according to tribal customs and the materials available in the natural environments where the pieces were crafted.
«These were later adopted in other regions through trade networks that spread typical southern pieces elsewhere», Ifri explains.
Colors that identify the regions
Colors can also reveal a piece’s geographic origins. In the Rif, red, blue and green traditionally dominated, while jewelry from the Souss region is often distinguished by orange and yellow tones. According to Ifri, «there are more than 100 silversmithing techniques across North Africa, which is the most diverse region in the world in terms of craftsmanship involving this metal».
Because silver forms the foundation of most ancestral jewelry, it was often paired with coral. This combination remains particularly common in southern Morocco, a region historically known for its mines. Further north, artisans increasingly incorporated traditional beads and precious stones, adapting their creations to locally available materials and to the influence of coastal or inland trade routes.
