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Description
The Tenacious Chandelier
Tenacious means to keep a strong hold and stand firm — qualities deeply reflected in the history of Robben Island prison, where Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters endured hardship with unwavering strength.
This ethical, environmentally conscious lightwork is inspired by fencing rescued from Robben Island, combined with carefully chosen found objects.
Owning the Tenacious Chandelier is a way to bring a meaningful piece of South African history into your home, transforming a symbol of struggle into a powerful beacon of hope, resilience, and enduring spirit.
SIZE: Bell-shaped chandelier – 300mm Height × 200mm Width
Custom diameters available to fit your space - email us info@legacycollection.org
Charmaine chose the fencing pieces following the principle:
“As the fence is, so it is” — no welding or hammering was used, preserving their authentic scars and textures.
Design
Each Legacy Collection chandelier is thoughtfully designed as a sculptural statement piece, handcrafted from the original Robben Island fence. What once stood as a barrier of oppression has been reimagined into an illuminated symbol of resilience, hope, and South Africa’s journey toward freedom. Crafted by skilled artisans in Cape Town, every design tells a powerful story that honours the nation’s path to democracy. Our commitment to ethical, local craftsmanship ensures that every chandelier not only preserves history, but also empowers previously disadvantaged individuals, creating radiant works of art that carry a legacy of strength, creativity, and triumph.
Disclaimer
The jewelry you have purchased is partly made from a rusted metal material from Robben Island, which is coated and sealed completely to prevent further oxidation. The sealing of your jewelry is made with TarBender which is a clear liquid epoxy which provides a strong UV resistant high gloss coating. Each piece could vary in color shape and size due to the unique nature of the Robben Island Fence.
Other metals used are platinum, gold, sterling silver and plated gold. Gold and sterling silver are typically a safe metal for sensitive skin types. However some skin reactions may appear as green / dark / black marks on the skin around the area of contact. As well as redness, swelling and itching. Legacy Collection does not bear any responsibility for any discoloration or allergic reactions to the skin. Sterling silver by its nature does tarnish with time, but polishing the item will remedy this, especially a jewelry polishing cloth. Plating responds differently to various skin types owing to the varying acidity levels of each individual skin. Sweat, humidity and heat may also contribute to higher skin acidity levels. While some skin types may have no perceptible effect on the plating. Individuals with a higher acidity level could affect the plating wear rate. We cannot guarantee plating as it is purely a decorative effect and not a pure metal. We highly recommend purchasing pure metals rather than plated items.
Legacy Collection takes great care to make sure that all our jewelry has been thoroughly sealed and is a high quality plating.
However, in the event that the sealing breaks down and the metal is exposed, brown spots may appear. In this event, please contact us immediately, and we will reseal your artifacts for you.
JEWELRY IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE especially rings, necklace chains and bracelets can break / snap when pulled or hard pressure placed on the soft metals. Please do not bend the jewelry as the fence may break and / or crack open the Robben Island Fence resin coating. Please do not go to strenuous exercise, rock climb, swim in a pool or ocean, and do not pick up heavy objects / suitcases with your ring or bracelets on your arms.
Any sharp ends have been rounded off to prevent any cuts. However, we cannot be held responsible for injuries sustained by negligent including accidental breakages of jewelry.
The certificate of authenticity reflects the unique item number of the associated piece. This number is an element of our audit process, which in conjunction with RIACT, ensure the sales and use of the fence is tightly controlled. Legacy Collection designer Charmaine Taylor holds the world-wide rights to create jewelry out of the Robben Island prison fence.