Hawaiian pendants: styles, sizing and what to look for

A Hawaiian pendant is a small piece of gold, usually 10 to 25 mm, cut in the shape of an island motif such as plumeria or honu, or a heart or tag engraved with scroll, worn on a fine chain. Many carry a name, a date or a short line engraved on the back. It is the most giftable form of Hawaiian heirloom jewelry, because it needs no ring or wrist size. When you compare pendants, look at the gold content, the thickness of the metal, how the engraving was done, and whether the chain is included and matches.

Where the style comes from

Hawaiian heirloom jewelry started with engraved gold bracelets in the Victorian style, worn by Hawaiian royalty in the 1860s. Pendants carry the same scrollwork, flowers and lettering in a smaller form. Our guide to Hawaiian heirloom jewelry has the history and sources.

The main styles

Motif pendants. The pendant is cut in the outline of the motif itself. Plumeria is the most common, with five petals that read clearly even when small. Honu, the green sea turtle, is the other favourite. Maile leaves and hibiscus also appear. Our guide to symbols and meanings explains each.

Hearts and tags. A flat heart, oval or bar engraved with scroll, sometimes with a name on the front. These are the closest in spirit to the bracelet, and they give the most room for lettering.

Name pendants. A name cut or engraved across a bar or a small plate, sometimes with the letters raised and filled with black enamel in the traditional way.

Other Hawaiian forms. You will also see the makau, the fish hook, which has its own long history in carved bone and stone. It is a different tradition from heirloom gold, and worth reading about on its own.

Sizes. Pendants are measured across the widest point. Around 12 mm is small and quiet; 15 mm, about the size of a fingernail, is the usual everyday size; 20 mm and larger is a pendant meant to be seen.

Metals. 14k yellow gold is traditional. White and rose gold are common, and some pendants combine colours, for example a white gold flower with a yellow gold centre.

How to choose

Motif and size. Start with the meaning, then think about who will wear it. A child or someone who rarely wears jewelry will reach for a small pendant more often. A larger pendant suits someone who wears one piece every day.

Chain. A pendant needs a chain that is strong enough for it and fits through its bail, the loop at the top. A fine cable chain in the same gold is the safe choice. 16 in sits at the base of the neck, 18 in at the collarbone and 20 in just below. If the wearer already has a chain they love, buy the pendant alone.

Engraving. The back of a pendant is a good place for a name, a date or a short line. The space is small, so keep it brief. Hawaiian words should carry the ʻokina and kahakō. Our engraving guide shows what fits on each piece and which characters you can use.

Price. Size and thickness decide how much gold the pendant holds, and the chain adds to it. Our guide to what Hawaiian jewelry costs explains the rest.

Quality checks before you buy

• Karat stamp. Look for 14K, 585 or similar on the back or the bail. In the US, a quality stamp is meant to sit next to the maker’s name or trademark.
• Thickness. A pendant cut from thin sheet is light and can bend. Ask how thick it is, or for its weight in grams. Heavier is not always better, but very light pendants wear poorly.
• Solid, hollow or plated. Puffed hearts and three-dimensional shapes are sometimes hollow. “Gold plated”, “gold filled” and “gold tone” are not solid gold. Under the FTC’s Jewelry Guides, a hollow piece should not be called solid.
• The chain. Check whether the chain is included, and whether it is the same karat as the pendant. A solid gold pendant on a plated chain is common in low-priced listings.
• Hand or machine engraving. Hand-cut lines are bright, slightly varied and deep enough to catch the light. Stamped and machine-engraved pendants have shallow, identical lines.
• Where it was made. A pendant sold as “made in Hawaii” in the state must be made there with most of its value added there. Ask where it was cut and engraved.

Care

Take a pendant off for swimming, sleep and exercise; fine chains are the part most likely to snag or break. Clean gold with warm water and mild soap and dry it well. Store the pendant with its chain fastened, so the chain does not knot. Our care guide has more.

What we make

We make one pendant, the Heirloom Pendant. It is cut from 14k gold sheet in yellow, white or rose and engraved by hand at our bench in Hawaiʻi, in 12, 15 or 20 mm, with plumeria, honu or a scroll heart. You can add a name or date on the back, and a 14k cable chain in 16, 18 or 20 in, or wear it on a chain you already own.

Every piece is made to order. We send a proof before we start, and include a one-year workmanship warranty and free shipping within the US.