A buyer's guide to Hawaiian jewelry
Hawaiian jewelry ranges from mass-made souvenirs to solid gold heirloom pieces engraved by hand in the islands. This guide helps you tell them apart, pay a fair price and find the people who make it.
- 97 prices checked by handfrom 21 sellers, published as typical prices and ranges
- 23 makers and shopslisted free, in alphabetical order, never ranked
- Sources on every pageHawaiʻi law, state agencies and the University of Hawaiʻi first
- We make jewelry tooso our pieces are never the evidence. How we stay fair
Start here
- What is Hawaiian heirloom jewelry?
Hawaiian heirloom jewelry is hand-engraved gold with scrollwork, island flowers and a name. Its Victorian-era history, motifs and how it's made.
- What Hawaiian jewelry costs
What drives the price of Hawaiian heirloom jewelry, how to compare two listings fairly, the red flags to watch for, and when paying more is worth it.
- Hawaiian jewelry symbols and meanings
What maile, plumeria, honu, naupaka, hibiscus and scroll mean on Hawaiian jewelry, where each comes from, and how to choose one.
- Hawaiʻi jewelry makers and shops
Who makes Hawaiian jewelry and where, island by island. Factual and unranked.
Where to buy in Hawaiʻi
- How to shop for Hawaiian jewelry on the islands
Workshops, heirloom jewelers, galleries and markets, and how to tell what's made locally.
- Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Oʻahu
Where to shop for Hawaiian jewelry on Oʻahu, from Waikīkī and Ala Moana to Haleʻiwa, Kailua, Lāʻie and Kapolei, and how to tell work made on the island.
- Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Maui
Where to shop for Hawaiian jewelry on Maui: Lahaina and Kāʻanapali as they rebuild, Wailuku, Pāʻia, Makawao, Wailea and Hāna, and how to spot Maui-made work.
- Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Hawaiʻi Island
Where to shop for Hawaiian jewelry on Hawaiʻi Island: Kona's Aliʻi Drive, Waimea, Hilo, Volcano and the Kohala resorts, and how to find island-made work.
- Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Kauaʻi
Where to shop for Hawaiian jewelry and Niʻihau shell lei on Kauaʻi: Līhuʻe, Kapaʻa, Hanapēpē, Kōloa and Poʻipū, and Hanalei, with what to check before you buy.
- Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi
Where to find Hawaiian jewelry on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi: Kaunakakai's main street and market, Lānaʻi City's art center, and why buying from local makers matters.
Is it real? Authenticity and materials
- Gold karat stamps on Hawaiian jewelry: what 14K, 585 and GF mean
How to read 10K, 14K, 18K, 585, GF, HGE and 925 stamps on Hawaiian jewelry, what US law requires of a stamp, and how to check solid gold, weight and marks.
- Hand-engraved vs machine-engraved Hawaiian jewelry: how to tell
How to tell hand engraving from rotary, laser, diamond-drag or cast patterns on Hawaiian jewelry with a loupe, what each costs, and why it matters for resizing.
- How to tell if Hawaiian jewelry is really made in Hawaiʻi
What Hawaiʻi law requires before jewelry is sold as made in Hawaii, how it differs from designed in Hawaii or Hawaiian style, and three quick checks in a shop.
- Is black coral jewelry legal in Hawaiʻi? What buyers should know
Black coral is Hawaiʻi's state gem and legal to buy there. What the state and federal harvest rules say, when CITES permits apply, and how to spot fakes.
- Koa wood jewelry: what it is, how to judge it and how it lasts
What makes koa wood valuable, how curly figure is judged, where legal koa comes from, how to spot look-alike acacia, and what to ask before buying a koa ring.
- Niʻihau shell jewelry: prices, grades and how to tell it's real
What Niʻihau shell lei are made of, what Hawaiʻi's labeling law requires, what drives the price from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and how to spot a fake.
- Pick-a-pearl in Hawaiʻi: is it worth it, and what you're buying
What pick-a-pearl oysters hold, where the pearls are farmed, how the fee and setting are priced, and how to judge any pearl you buy in Hawaiʻi.
By type
- Hawaiian bracelets: styles, sizing and what to look for
Hawaiian heirloom bracelets explained. Bangle, cuff and link styles, widths, motifs and lettering, how to size one, and how to check the gold.
- Hawaiian rings: styles, sizing and what to look for
Hawaiian heirloom rings explained. Engraved bands, name rings and koa inlay, widths and motifs, how to size one, and how to check the gold.
- Hawaiian pendants: styles, sizing and what to look for
Hawaiian heirloom pendants explained. Motifs, name and tag pendants, sizes and chains, engraving on the back, and how to check the gold.
- Hawaiian earrings: styles, metals and what to look for
Hawaiian heirloom earrings explained. Studs, hoops and drops, motifs, posts and backs, metals for sensitive ears, and how to check the gold.
- Hawaiian wedding bands: styles, sizing and what to look for
Hawaiian wedding bands explained. Maile and scroll, koa inlay, widths for a pair, sizing, timing, and how to check the gold before you order.
Motifs and meanings
- Fish hook (makau) jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What the makau, the Hawaiian fish hook, means on jewelry, its link to Maui and Mānaiakalani, the common styles, and what to check before you buy.
- Hawaiian scroll jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What Hawaiian scroll engraving is, where it comes from, the classic heirloom styles, and how to tell real hand-cut scroll from machine work.
- Hibiscus jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What the hibiscus, Hawaiʻi's state flower, means on jewelry, which hibiscus is the official one, the common styles, and what to check before you buy.
- Honu jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What the honu, the Hawaiian green sea turtle, means on jewelry, the common styles, and how to buy a honu piece that is solid, well made and legal.
- Maile jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What the maile lei means on Hawaiian jewelry and wedding bands, the common styles, and how to judge a hand-engraved maile ring or bracelet.
- Naupaka jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What the naupaka half-flower means on Hawaiian jewelry, the legend and its versions, the common styles, and what to check before you buy.
- Plumeria jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What plumeria (pua melia) means on Hawaiian jewelry, how it came to Hawaiʻi, the common styles, and how to tell solid, hand-engraved work.
- Whale tail jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for
What a whale tail means on Hawaiian jewelry, the koholā (humpback whale) in Hawaiʻi, the common styles, and how to buy one that is solid and legal.
Buying on a trip
- Can I get jewelry engraved in Hawaiʻi before my flight?
How long engraving takes in Hawaiʻi, what can be done while you wait, and how to plan a custom name bracelet or ring around your trip, or have it shipped.
- Hawaiʻi sales tax on jewelry: the GET on your receipt explained
Why a Hawaiʻi jewelry receipt shows 4.712% instead of a sales tax, the 2026 rate on each island, why visitors get no refund, and when shipping home removes it.
- Ring sizing on vacation: why your size changes in Hawaiʻi
Heat, salt, flights and late afternoons make fingers swell in Hawaiʻi. How to get sized right in a shop, measure twice, and which rings are hard to resize.
- Shipping jewelry home from Hawaiʻi: insurance, timing and tax
Carry it or ship it: USPS, UPS and FedEx insurance limits for jewelry, signature options, Hawaiʻi to mainland timing, tax, and shipping to Japan.
Sizing and care
- How to find your ring size
Measure your ring size at home or with a jeweler, convert between US sizes, Japanese 号 and millimetres, and allow for wider bands.
- How to measure for a bracelet
Measure your wrist, add half an inch for a comfortable fit, and choose a bracelet size from 5.5 to 8.5 in (14 to 21.6 cm). Inches and centimetres.
- Choosing a wedding band width
How 4, 6 and 8 mm wedding bands look and fit, how width affects ring size, and how couples choose widths for a matching pair.
- Comfort fit explained
A comfort-fit ring has a rounded inside that slides over the knuckle and feels less tight. How it differs from a flat inside, and how it affects size.
- Koa wood and shell inlay: care and what to expect
How to look after koa and shell inlay jewelry, what changes with wear, and what natural variation in grain and colour means for your piece.