What Hawaiian jewelry costs

The survey on this page shows the range of prices we found for comparable pieces. This guide explains why that range is so wide, and how to tell a fair price from a misleading one.

What drives the price

Gold content and weight. This is the largest single factor. A solid gold bracelet or ring is priced, in large part, on its weight in grams. Anything that adds metal adds cost, and anything that removes it, such as a thinner wall or a hollow back, brings the price down.

Karat. Karat tells you how much of the metal is pure gold, out of 24 parts. 14k is 14 parts in 24, a little over half; 18k is three quarters; 10k is under half. More gold means a higher price for the same weight, a deeper colour, and a slightly softer metal. 14k is the usual choice for heirloom jewelry because it balances colour, durability and cost.

Width and size. A wider bracelet or ring uses more gold, and so does a larger wrist or finger. Going from a slim width to a wide one can more than double the gold in a piece, which is why prices climb steeply with width. Our bracelet measuring guide and ring size guide explain how size is measured.

Solid or hollow. A hollow bangle or ring can look the same from the front as a solid one while using a fraction of the gold. It costs less, but it dents and wears through more easily, and it cannot be re-engraved or resized as much. Under the FTC’s Jewelry Guides, a hollow piece is not supposed to be described as solid.

Hand or machine engraving. Hand engraving is skilled bench time: each line is cut with a graver under magnification, and a full bracelet takes hours. Machine, laser and stamped patterns are fast and cheap to repeat. Hand-cut work is deeper, brighter and lasts longer, and it costs more because a person makes it.

Enamel lettering. On traditional pieces, the background around each letter is cut away so the name stands up, then the letters are filled with black enamel. That is more work than engraving a name in script, and it is usually priced higher.

Custom names and engraving. A name across the front is often included in the price of an heirloom bracelet. Extra lines, inside engraving and longer phrases may be charged separately. Our engraving guide shows what fits on each of our pieces.

Made in Hawaiʻi or imported. Pieces made by hand in small numbers in Hawaiʻi carry the cost of local labour and a small workshop. Imported, mass-produced pieces are made in volume, often cast or machine-engraved, and can cost much less. In Hawaiʻi, a piece sold as “made in Hawaii” must be made in the state with at least half of its wholesale value added there.

Gold price swings. Gold is traded every day, and its benchmark price moves with world markets. Makers who price by weight adjust their prices when gold moves, so a quote from one year may not hold the next. A sudden rise in gold is the most common reason for a price change on the same piece.

Warranty and services. Resizing, a workmanship warranty, proof approval before production and shipping all cost a maker something. A lower price sometimes means fewer of them. Check what is included, not just the number.

How to compare two listings fairly

Ask each seller for the same five things:

• The gram weight of the piece in your size and width. If two pieces weigh the same and are the same karat, the gold in them is worth the same.
• The karat and the stamp. Ask whether the piece is stamped 14K, 585 or similar, and where. In the US, a karat stamp is meant to be accompanied by the maker’s name or trademark.
• The construction. Solid or hollow, and for a bracelet, closed bangle, hinged or cuff. Ask about wall thickness if the seller knows it.
• The engraving method. Hand-cut, machine, laser or cast-in. If it is hand-engraved, ask whether the name is hand-cut too.
• Where it was made. Where the piece was formed and where it was engraved, which are not always the same place.

Once you have those answers, price per gram at the same karat tells you how much you are paying for the work and service around the gold. A higher price for the same weight is reasonable when it buys hand engraving, a local maker and real after-sale care. It is not reasonable when it buys only a brand name.

Red flags

• No karat stated. Real gold jewelry is sold with its karat. A listing that says only “gold” with no karat is a reason to ask, and a refusal to answer is a reason to walk away.
• “Gold tone” or “gold colour”. These describe a colour, not a metal. The piece is usually brass or another base metal.
• Plated or filled sold as gold. “Gold plated”, “gold filled”, “rolled gold” and “vermeil” all mean a layer of gold over another metal. They are legitimate products, but they are not solid gold and should not be priced or described as if they were.
• Weight that does not add up. A wide bracelet that weighs very little is almost certainly hollow, whatever the listing says.
• Unclear origin. Vague phrases such as “Hawaiian style” or “island inspired” next to a Hawaiʻi address do not tell you where the piece was made. Ask.
• A price far below everyone else’s. Gold has a market price. If a solid gold piece is offered for less than its likely gold value, something in the description is wrong.

When paying more is worth it

Paying more is worth it when it buys more gold, better work or real care after the sale. A solid, heavier band will outlast a hollow one by decades. Hand engraving keeps its depth and brightness as it wears, where a shallow machine pattern softens and fades. A maker who shows you a proof before cutting, resizes within reason and stands behind the work for a year or more is pricing in time you will be glad of if anything needs attention.

It is not worth paying more for a name, packaging or a photograph. If you are buying an heirloom, something you expect to wear for life and hand down, put the money into gold weight and hand engraving first.

We make every piece to order in 14k gold and engrave it by hand at our bench in Hawaiʻi. Before we start, we send a proof to approve, and every piece comes with one free resize within 30 days where the design allows, a one-year workmanship warranty and free shipping within the US. Our guides to Hawaiian bracelets, rings and wedding bands go further into each piece.