I like a jewelry brand with a good origin story, and SOKO's is better than most. Catherine Mahugu, Gwendolyn Floyd and Ella Peinovich met in Nairobi over a shared interest in artisanship and women's empowerment. They first built a mobile marketplace for Kenyan makers, where artisans could answer orders even without regular internet, a computer or a bank account. The label grew from there into the collections we know.

SOKO's own story calls it Black-owned and women-led, with jewelry as a bridge between Kenyan artisans and the wider world. The material story is specific: 24k gold-plated recycled brass and recycled glass sourced locally. What keeps my attention is the balance, sculptural forms and polished finishes, with Kenyan craft and the people who make each piece still part of the story.

The first SOKO piece I would pick is something that sits at the collar, because that is where the brass catches light every time you look down. The Jepesi Necklace is the sculptural one, a shape that reads from across a room, while the Kiota Delicate Pendant Necklace is what I would wear on an ordinary weekday with a plain tee. If you like a personal note, the SOKO Signature Initial Necklace and the Meta Initial Necklace both put a letter on the chain, and the Umbo Square Necklace Charm is a small way to change a chain you already own.

The cuffs carry the same idea to the wrist. The Tiriko Band Cuff is wide and polished, and the Umbo Open Link Cuff Bracelet keeps a little air in the design. These are plated, so I would put them on after lotion and perfume and take them off before a swim.

My test is simple: try the necklace with the top you wear most, buttoned and unbuttoned, and see where the pendant lands. What I would skip is layering two initial necklaces at once. One letter says enough.

SOKO earrings work best when the shape is the whole point, so I would pick by outline first. The Kiota Mini Hoop Earrings and Kiota Midi Hoop Earrings are the everyday pair, small enough for a video call and still noticeable in person. The Thin Bar Drop Stud Earrings and SOKO Signature Initial Hoop Earrings sit close to the face, while the Imba Midi Dangle Earrings and Umbo Chain Threader Earrings bring movement when your hair is up.

The Tuliza Midi Sliding Spinner Mental Health Drop Earrings have a sliding spinner you can fidget with, which I like for long meetings. The Twist Ear Cuff Set is the low-commitment way to get a stacked ear without another piercing.

Picture her on a Friday evening in a black knit with her hair pulled back, one pair of threaders doing all the talking. What I would skip is the longest earrings with a statement necklace. Let one of them lead.

The rings are where SOKO's sense of play shows most. The Tuliza Statement Spinner Mental Health Ring and Tuliza Delicate Spinner Mental Health Ring have a band that turns, the kind of detail I imagine you start using all day without noticing. The Imba Statement Ring, Cala Bar Ring, Bidu Statement Ring and Umbo Square Statement Ring are bolder single pieces, and the Njia 3-in-1 Ring and Kiota 3-in-1 Ring split into separate bands, so one ring gives you a few ways to wear it.

For a lighter hand, the stacking sets are the easier start: the Bahari Stacking Rings, Bahari Ring, Twist Infinity Stacking Rings, Sura Stacking Rings and Kaya Stacking Rings can be split across fingers or worn together on one. I would begin with a single set and add later, because stacks look best when they grow slowly.

Check your size before ordering the spinner and 3-in-1 styles, since a loose fit makes the bands slide apart. What I would skip is a full stack on both hands with a wide cuff. Keep one hand as the quiet side.

I keep returning to SOKO because the work does not separate the form from the people behind it. The rings, earrings, necklaces and cuffs are made to be worn every day, but the mobile network connecting Kenyan artisans to a wider market is just as central to the label. I would start with one piece I would wear daily, a pendant or a pair of hoops, and let the rest come later. Although I know how that usually goes with rings. I went deeper on a related idea in Laura Lombardi Jewelry: Gold-Plated Necklaces and Earrings.