Hawaiian jewelry is created with beauty and style, the overriding themes used in this style
of jewelry is flowers and Hawaiian heritage scrolling. The most common flowers used in
Hawaiian jewelry designs are Hawaiian Plumeria (commonly called frangipani) and Hibiscus
(commonly called Rose of China or China Rose), though others include Anthurium andreanum
(commonly called flamingo flower or painter’s palette), Strelitzia reginae (commonly called
Bird of Paradise) and the pineapple which is cultivated in many Hawaiian areas. Other plants
used are the Hawaiian maile leaf, bamboo and a variety of Hawaiian ferns.

Hawaiian sea life also features widely in Hawaiian jewelry, the most popular being the
Hawaiian Honu (Green sea turtle), the Hawaiian dolphin (most commonly known as the
Hawaiian spinner dolphin). Other sea life featured includes the humpback whale, (the whale
tail being the most popular “section” used), the Hawaiian monk seal plus a range of Hawaiian
fish endemic to Hawaii including the angelfish, starfish, seashells and swordfish.

Other area’s in the Hawaiian culture are also included in the Hawaiian jewelry range,
including other native animals like the beautiful and graceful gecko (known as the good luck
lizard), fish hooks (as throughout history fish is a big part of the Hawaiian diet), Hawaiian
slipper, Hawaiian warrior helmets, Hawaiian heritage scrolling, sarongs, tee shirts and Ukulele.
The list goes on!

New to the Hawaiian jewelry range in mid 2007 is the Kahiko Collection, based on the
original Hawaiian Hula. Currently limited to pendants they feature hand carved work, which
includes Hawaiian Plumeria (frangipani) flowers, Hawaiian maile leaves, coconut palms,
Hawaiian hula girls, Hawaiian hula skirts, Hawaiian musical instruments and Hawaiian
heirloom scrolling. Kahiko Collection is highly recognized for it's mix of traditional Hula
Dancing themes and Hawaiian Jewelry engraving techniques.

You can view this new range, as well as many other Hawaiian jewelry items at
Simply Jewelry.

Hawaiian jewelry can be worn for casual dress or for special occasions. In the recent past
this style of jewelry became very popular for use as bridal jewelry and as general wedding
jewelry for the whole of the wedding party. The most popular choice in the range is the
Hawaiian Plumeria, understandable really due to the beauty of the flower.  Hawaiian jewelry
styles are indicative of the casual attitude of the Islands and bear testimony to the rich flora
and fauna of the place. While early Hawaiian jewelry was crafted out of shells, feathers,
corals, seeds and whale ivory, modern styles are made using 14 carat solid gold and .925
sterling silver. 14 carat gold is also used as a highlighter on some of the sterling silver jewelry.
Other materials used include genuine mother of pearl in a range of dyed colours and genuine
freshwater pearls, also in a range of colours.

Hawaiian jewelry styles
Hranawaiian jewelry reflects the casual Hawaiian Islands style plus its beautiful flora and
fauna. The range of designs and styles is catered for in the usual jewelry categories including:
anklets, bangles, bracelets, body jewelry, earrings, necklaces, pendants, rings and toe rings.
The ge is huge! Plumeria jewelry, as mentioned above, is very popular. Plumeria blossoms
are found aplenty on the Hawaiian Islands and no better way to incorporate the Aloha spirit
than to wear a beautiful and exquisite piece from within the Hawaiian jewelry range. Designs
incorporate island life in the form of marine animals, turtles, pineapples, flowers, canoes and fish.

Hawaiian jewelry can be purchased in rose, white, yellow or tricolour (a mixture of the three
colours) 14 carat solid gold or sterling silver. Black enamel work continues to be a popular
design style, though other colours are also available. A large part of the range includes hand
carving which adds a personal touch. The wedding lei is a simple piece of Hawaiian jewelry
that has strings of varying lengths. Shells and cowries and used to best effect, though many
people think of the Plumeria when talking about the Hawaiian lei as this is the most often seen.

In Hawaii, Hawaiian jewelry pieces are often given from parent to child, friend-to-friend,
sweetheart-to-sweetheart.

History of Hawaiian jewelry
Early history of Hawaiian jewelry can be traced to the time when Queen Victoria was
mourning the death of Prince Albert. The black-enamel jewelry became popular when used
extensively by Hawaiian princess Liliu Loloku Walania Kamakaeha. From those times the
range in styles and designs in the Hawaiian jewelry design increased dramatically and still
today, new designs are still being created. Hawaiian heirloom jewelry is commemorative
of various achievements and represents the Royal family heritage. The lettering on this type
of Hawaiian jewelry is done in old English script style.

The origins of what is now thought of as Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry can be traced back to
the era of the Hawaiian monarchy. The Hawaiian kingdom had long enjoyed a favorable
relationship with England. In February 1862, Prince Albert, consort and husband to
England’s Queen Victoria, was dead. During the queen’s time of grief, only mourning
clothes and black-accented jewelry were acceptable apparel at the royal court. Meanwhile,
jewelry accented with black jet (which is often found in the Yorkshire area near Whitby) or
enamel and carved with floral, vine or scroll designs became the height of fashion in England.
These pieces came in the forms of rings, brooches, pendants and bracelets.

Reacting to Prince Albert’s death, a 23-year-old Hawaiian princess named Liliu Loloku
Walania Kamakaeha ordered two gold rings that precisely followed the style and detail of
the black-enameled English mourning jewelry.

In 1887, Hawaii’s Queen Kapiolani and Princess Liliu were invited to Queen Victoria’s
Jubilee. At the Jubilee, Queen Victoria bestowed them precious gold bracelets with each
name of theirs imprinted in Old English Lettering filled with black enamel. They adored the
gift so that they had similar bracelets made for Hawaiian Royal members upon their return to
Hawaii.

Engraved jewelry in the Islands grew in popularity in 1893 after Liliu-o-kalani, the last
Hawaiian Queen, presented a gold enamelled bracelet in-scripted with Aloha Oe
(meaning ”farewell to thee”) to Zoe Atkinson, the head mistress of Pohukaina Girls
School beside the Palace. The bracelets caught a lot of attention and envy from the young
ladies, and the style of the jewelry with inscription had spread out worldwide since then.

The inscription proved to be prophetic: Just days later, queen Liliu-o-kalani was confined 
to her palace and forced to abdicate her throne; the Hawaiian monarchy had come to a 
sudden end. This came about when the queen prepared a new constitution curtailing the 
powers of western planters who had settled on the islands in the course of the previous years 
and had become very influential; a Citizen’s Committee of Public Safety seized power and 
ended the monarchy. 

After a transitional period a Republic of Hawaii - dominated by the planters – was formally 
organized in 1894.

 An attempt by royalist groups, headed by Robert William Wilcox, was made in 1885 to 
re-instate the Hawaiian monarchy. This failed and as a result Queen Liliu-o-kalani was 
arrested and forced to abdicate. In 1896 she was released and continued as head of the 
Hawaiian royal house until her death in 1917.

 Thereafter the leadership passed to another Hawaiian noble family, the Kawananakoa.