Best Tips on Buying Moroccan Jewelry In Morocco & Online

Best Tips on Buying Moroccan Jewelry In Morocco & Online

Buying Moroccan jewelry in Morocco or online can be exciting and daunting at the same time. There are so many designs to choose from and with more and more imitation and counterfeit products, it can be very hard to navigate the market. If you are planning to shop for jewelry in Morocco, you can always refer to this article to learn about Moroccan jewelry designs – but I also highly recommend checking my ebook about shopping in Morocco to learn about Moroccan markets dynamics and how to spot traditional jewelers in Morocco who sell genuine Moroccan jewelry at reasonable prices.

My love for Moroccan jewelry started in my childhood. I used to accompany my mother to the Medina, our city downtown, and look for authentic Moroccan jewelry pieces.

That was a passion many Moroccan women shared: Checking new and vintage jewelry arrivals and acquiring pieces when the price of gold and silver was low. Banks weren’t very popular at the time and women used to invest the majority of their money in authentic Moroccan jewelry.

But that’s not all. Moroccan Women REALLY love jewelry and it’s not just materialistic. Every Moroccan woman and girl is proud of her jewelry box and all the jewelry pieces her mother or grandmother passed down to her, as well as those she was gifted or acquired throughout the years. There is a sentimental attachment because each jewelry piece has a history of its own.

That’s how I spent my childhood, listening to my grandmother, mother, and aunts’ jewelry stories. Now here I am, with a passion for Moroccan jewelry and antique Moroccan jewelry designs. Put me in a traditional Moroccan jewelry store and you won’t hear from me for hours!

Shopping Moroccan jewelry, whether online or in Morocco, can be very overwhelming for anyone who isn’t a Moroccan native or familiar with Moroccan culture. There are many factors to take into account during the search and buying process and one can easily end up overpaying or buying a counterfeit jewelry piece.

Tip: If you are visiting Morocco, check my Morocco Shopping Guide where I go through Morocco markets and Souks dynamics and how to spot authentic jewelry shops and other handicraft shops (leather, rugs, etc).

The contact I had with Moroccan jewelry since my young age grew my love for authentic vintage pieces and the history behind each emblematic design. Now, shopping for Moroccan jewelry is still one of my favorite things to do in Morocco, and with all the imitations out there, I cannot imagine anyone shopping for authentic Moroccan jewelry without knowing the main designs and emblematic pieces to look for.

Moroccan Jewelry Emblematic Designs

For the connoisseurs, it is possible to guess where a Moroccan woman is from just by looking at her jewelry adornment. This is possible because each region of Morocco has its own jewelry designs.

There are dozens of Moroccan jewelry designs and variations and it can take pages and pages to go through all of them.

The thing is, most Moroccan Antique jewelry pieces are expensive and hard to wear casually.

Moroccan traditional jewelry sets are a good example. Moroccan women are no longer wearing them unless on their wedding day, and even so, they only rent them for the occasion.

These heavy traditional items are very expensive due to their history charged value and if you are not an expert, you can easily make the wrong choice and buy a counterfeit.

Fortunately, there are some traditional jewelry designs that are quite affordable, relatively easy to shop, and that go beautifully with modern fashion.

1. Moroccan Berber Necklaces

One of Morocco’s most emblematic jewelry pieces is the Berber necklaces. These necklaces are perfect for women who like stand-out pieces that add a lot of personality to their jewelry collection.

Berber necklaces come in different sizes ranging from massive pieces to daintier ones. Authentic Berber necklaces are made with silver and genuine stones like amber, coral, and onyx. They can be quite pricey, costing up to thousands of dollars depending on the materials used and the weight of the necklace.

If a Berber necklace price is too low, it’s probably not authentic. In fact, unless you are looking for a replica, genuine Berber necklaces cheaper than $70-$80 simply don’t exist. And if you go for pricier stones like Amber and Coral, your Berber necklace can’t cost less than a few hundred dollars.

The necklace below with Amber beads is an example of a heavy traditional Berber necklace, a staple on Berber engagement ceremonies, weddings, and baby showers. You can find similar ones here (genuine and nice replicas).

The necklace below is an example of a dainty Berber necklace, handmade in Morocco, and true to Berber ancestral jewelry designs. It’s honestly one of my favorite Berber necklaces for either festive or casual wear. Very feminine and unique. I have the same and I always get compliments when I wear it. You can check it here.

2. Moroccan Silver Bracelets

Moroccan silver bracelets are very popular in Morocco. Usually, the more the better, they can be worn single or layered in sets to achieve a great thickness in the wrists. There are many designs to choose from and they can be either simple or heavily engraved. The most popular ones are made of 925 silver sterling but there are many designs made of gold.

If you are looking for genuine bracelets, these Moroccan silver bracelets are pure charm. They are a little costly but believe me, they will stay sparkling and beautiful for decades!

For cheaper options, this Moroccan bracelet replica – $29 is one of my favorites!

3. Moroccan Hamsa Jewelry

Also called Khamsa, the Eye of Fatima or the Hand of Fatima, the Hamsa is a Moroccan-Jewish symbol representing a hand, believed to protect from evil and negative people. It is a classic in Moroccan jewelry.

You can find the Hamsa in almost every jewelry item in Morocco: Hamsa necklaces, Hamsa pendants, bracelets, earrings, .. Hamsa hand jewelry is a real classic and most Moroccan women have at least a couple of pieces featuring this protecting symbol.

Moroccan Jewelry Prices

Depending on your budget you can either shop authentic Moroccan jewelry made with precious materials and stones (like amber, coral and onyx) or opt for good quality replicas.

Replicas are great if you have a very limited budget. I have many Moroccan jewelry replicas from a couple of years ago and they still look amazing. You just need to be gentle with them and avoid contact with water and perfume.

Silver costs way less than gold and is still a durable jewelry material that can be passed on to many next generations. You can also acquire gold jewelry items if you focus on lightweight jewelry pieces.

Antique Moroccan Jewelry

Antique Moroccan jewelry is REALLY expensive. Most Moroccan women are content with the antique jewelry pieces they got from their mothers and grandmothers and rarely look to acquire more. In fact, it’s really hard to find a reliable vintage jewelry seller, whether you are shopping online or in Morocco.

Buying Jewelry in Morocco

In Morocco, the best place I go to purchase authentic Moroccan Jewelry is the Medina, which is every Moroccan city’s downtown. This is true, especially for the Medinas of historical cities like Marrakech, Fez, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Casablanca, and Tangier.

Although quite overwhelming, the Medina is the perfect place to shop for jewelry and handicrafts. I don’t know one single person who didn’t feel excited in Moroccan Medinas! They are the heartbeat of Moroccan cities and where Moroccans shop for everyday necessities, the perfect place to shop, and be immersed in locals’ everyday life.

In most Moroccan cities, Medinas are organized in sections for each shopping need: Moroccan jewelry, spices, rugs, traditional clothes, and so on. There are hundreds of thousands of products available and hundreds of variations for each product.

As mentioned in the introduction, If you are planning on doing some shopping in Morocco, make sure you check my Morocco shopping guide. I love shopping in Morocco Medinas and I know it has a crazy shopping potential, but it can also be overwhelming and it’s best to know a few things before going there.

A couple of years ago, one of my cousins purchased a very expensive Berber necklace only to realize days later it was made of fake amber.

This being said you shouldn’t be worried if you shop knowing what Moroccan jewelers to look for. You can acquire jewelry that you can pass down to the next generation. Like my mother’s necklace that she got from her grandmother. It is extremely gorgeous and still in perfect condition. A true family treasure.

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