$8 to $12 each; Leakeycollection.com
The Leakey Collection's Zulugrass strands - available in new styles Hint of Mint and Rhythm and Blues - are strings of dyed beads made from an African drought-resistant grass. The beads, which come in more than 200 color combinations, are handmade and strung by the Maasai women of Kenya's Great Rift Valley. The Newport Beach, Calif., company was founded by Philip and Katy Leakey, 57 and 51, to provide the women of the Maasai tribe with an alternative means of income during droughts. The company sells the beads in independent boutiques and catalogs, including National Geographic's retail catalog. And at this price, you can buy several and layer them.