Hawaiian bracelets: styles, sizing and what to look for

A Hawaiian bracelet, in the traditional sense, is a solid gold bangle hand-engraved with scrollwork or island flowers, with a name or Hawaiian word across the front. Most are between 6 and 12 mm wide and made in 14k gold. They are given at milestones, a birth, a graduation, a wedding, and worn for life, often several to a wrist. When you shop for one, the things that matter most are the gold content, whether it is solid or hollow, how it was engraved, and a size you have measured rather than guessed.

Where the style comes from

The heirloom bracelet grew out of Victorian gold jewelry with black enamel lettering, which Hawaiian royalty wore in the 1860s and which is closely tied to Queen Liliʻuokalani. Our guide to Hawaiian heirloom jewelry tells that history with sources. What matters here is that the bracelet came first. Rings, pendants and wedding bands all borrowed their look from it.

The main styles

The heirloom bangle. The classic form: a continuous band of gold, domed (sometimes called a barrel) or flat on the outside, with the name centred on the front and scroll or flowers running all the way round. Some bangles are closed and slip over the hand; others are hinged with a clasp so they open.

The cuff. An open bangle with a gap at the back, so it slides on from the side of the wrist. Cuffs are easier to get on and a little more forgiving on size, but they can shift around the wrist.

The link bracelet. Short engraved gold sections joined by links, sometimes with a name plate in the middle. It drapes like a chain and is easier to size by adding or removing a link, but it reads less like the traditional bangle.

Widths. Bracelets are described by the width of the band. 6 mm is slim and stacks well. 8 mm is the classic everyday width and the one people choose most often from us. 10 and 12 mm give the lettering real presence. Wider pieces exist, and they use a lot more gold.

Lettering. The traditional name is in an Old English letter, and on many pieces the background is cut away so the letters stand up, sometimes filled with black enamel. Others are simply hand-engraved in script. Either is authentic.

Motifs. Scroll is the oldest and most common. Plumeria, maile and honu are the others you will see most often. Our guide to symbols and meanings explains each.

Metals. Yellow gold is traditional. White and rose gold are now common, and two-tone pieces mix them. 14k is the usual karat; you will also see 10k and 18k.

How to choose

Width. Think about the wrist and how it will be worn. A small wrist or a stack suits 6 or 8 mm. A single bracelet meant to be seen suits 10 or 12 mm. Lay a ruler across your wrist to picture it.

Size. A bracelet size is its inside circumference. Wrap a strip of paper around your wrist bone, measure it, and add 0.5 in for comfort, or a further 0.25 in for 10 mm and wider. Our bracelet measuring guide walks through it, and the full size guide has the chart. A closed bangle can only be adjusted a little once it is made, so measure twice.

Engraving. Decide on the name or word for the front, and whether you want a date or a private line inside. Hawaiian words should carry the ʻokina and kahakō. Our engraving guide shows what fits on each piece and which characters you can use.

Price. Width, wrist size, karat and construction drive most of the cost, because they decide how much gold is in the piece. Our guide to what Hawaiian jewelry costs explains the rest.

Quality checks before you buy

• Karat stamp. A gold bracelet should be stamped with its karat, such as 14K or 585, on the inside. In the US, a quality stamp is meant to sit next to the maker’s name or trademark.
• Solid or hollow. Hollow bangles use much less gold and dent more easily. Under the FTC’s Jewelry Guides, a hollow piece is not supposed to be called solid. If a listing does not say, ask.
• Plated or filled. “Gold plated”, “gold filled” and “gold tone” describe a thin gold surface, or only a colour, over another metal. None of them is solid gold.
• Weight. Ask for the weight in grams. Two bracelets of the same width and size can differ a great deal, and weight is the simplest way to compare them.
• Hand or machine engraving. Hand-cut lines are bright, slightly irregular and deep enough to catch the light. Machine and laser engraving is shallower and perfectly even. Look closely, or ask how it was done.
• Where it was made. In Hawaiʻi, a piece sold as “made in Hawaii” must have been made in the state with most of its wholesale value added there. If origin matters to you, ask where the bracelet was formed and engraved.

Care

Take your bracelet off for swimming, the beach, exercise and sleep. Salt water, chlorine and lotion dull gold, and a bangle knocked against a hard surface can dent. Clean it with a soft dry cloth, or warm water and mild soap, and store it apart from other jewelry. Our care guide has the details.

What we make

We make one bracelet, the Heirloom Scroll Bracelet: a solid 14k gold bangle in yellow, white or rose, with a domed profile and a comfort-fit inside edge, in 6, 8, 10 or 12 mm and sizes 5.5 to 8.5 in. You choose scroll, plumeria, maile or honu, a name across the front and, if you like, a line inside. It is made to order and engraved by hand at our bench in Hawaiʻi.

Before we start, we send you a proof with your size and engraving to approve. After delivery there is one free resize within 30 days where the design allows, a one-year workmanship warranty, and free shipping within the US.