Origins & Craft
The House of MBALI Gold Nugget
Every piece carries one mark. The Gold Nugget is individually die-cast in a durable metal alloy, hand-finished and plated in 24-carat gold, so it keeps the softened edges and fine surface grain that only a casting gives. Within its irregular nugget form, the Mbali flower is raised clean out of the metal — seven leaves and a bud. It sits flush, saddle-stitched into a hand-cut recess in the leather.
All MBALI metal components — chains, rings, buckles, sliders and feet — are brass with a 24-carat gold-plated finish.
Authenticated by the seal
Every MBALI piece is individually numbered—and every number carries its provenance. The reverse of the seal bears the piece’s unique serial number, permanently linked to the Hide Origin ID of the material from which it was made. Both identifiers appear on the accompanying certificate and are recorded in the MBALI Origin Register in Cape Town, creating an unbroken record from the hide’s documented origin to the finished piece.
- Record — Piece serial struck on the reverse of the seal and linked to its Hide Origin ID
- Setting — saddle-stitched into a hand-cut recess, never glued or riveted through.
- Finish — Solid-brass hardware with a 24-carat gold-plated finish.
- A solid gold Nugget, by commission — On a private commission the House of MBALI Gold Nugget may be made in solid gold rather than plated. The Nugget is cast and hand-finished to the same form, hallmarked, and delivered with a certificate stating the alloy and a documented proof of weight. Price is quoted on the metal weight at the time of casting and confirmed in writing before the bench opens.