Naupaka jewelry: meaning, styles and what to look for

Naupaka jewelry shows the naupaka flower, a native Hawaiian blossom whose petals all grow on one side, so it looks like half a flower. One kind grows on the beach and others in the mountains, and Hawaiian legend, told in several versions, says the halves are two lovers who were parted. Naupaka jewelry is given for love across distance, for couples who have spent time apart, and in remembrance.

The plant

Naupaka is the Hawaiian name for several native shrubs in the genus Scaevola, known for white or pale flowers that look like half-blossoms. Naupaka kahakai (kahakai means seashore) is the beach naupaka, Scaevola taccada, also listed as Scaevola sericea. It forms thick, rounded shrubs with fleshy bright-green leaves along coasts throughout the islands and across much of the Pacific. Naupaka kuahiwi (kuahiwi means mountain) is the name for several mountain species, such as Scaevola gaudichaudiana, that grow only in Hawaiʻi, in wet forest and on ridges.

The beach and mountain plants rarely grow side by side, which is the heart of the story.

The legend and its versions

The story is told many ways, and we would rather show you the range than pick one.

• Pele and the lovers. In a widely told version, the princess Naupaka and a young man named Kaui fall in love. Pele, goddess of the volcano, wants Kaui for herself and chases the couple with lava. Naupaka tears a flower from her hair and gives Kaui half. Pele’s gentler sisters turn one lover into the mountain naupaka and the other into the beach naupaka, so each blooms as half a flower.
• Forbidden by family. In another, the couple are not allowed to marry. As they part, one goes to the mountains and one to the sea, and the flowers bloom in halves until they are together again.
• Parted by war. A version recorded by the botanist Otto Degener tells of a man leaving to fight on another island. He tears a naupaka blossom in two and promises to return when the flower is whole.
• A quarrel. In others, a woman tears the flower in half after an argument and says she will not love her sweetheart again until he brings her a whole one, which he never can.

Some people say that carrying a flower from the beach to the mountain plants, or the other way, brings the lovers together for a moment. Families and islands tell these stories differently, and none of them is the only correct one.

What it means on jewelry

Because every version is about two people apart, naupaka is given for long-distance relationships, for a partner who travels or serves away from home, between family members on different islands or continents, and in memory of someone who has died. It is also chosen by couples who simply love the story. Our guide to Hawaiian jewelry symbols and meanings compares it with maile, scroll and the other motifs.

Common styles

• Half-flower pendants and earrings. A cut-out naupaka with its five petals fanned to one side.
• Paired pieces. Two half-flowers, one for each person, sometimes cut to fit together into a whole.
• Engraved bands. Naupaka cut into a ring or bracelet, alone or alternating with scroll or maile.

Gold pieces are usually 14k; silver ones are sterling (925).

What to look for when buying

A recognisable half-flower. The petals should fan clearly to one side. At very small sizes, cast naupaka can blur into a fan or a shell shape.

Hand or machine engraving. Hand-cut petals have bright, faceted cuts and small variations. Machine and cast detail is even and softer at the edges.

Solid or hollow, and weight. Ask whether the piece is solid and what it weighs in grams. Hollow pieces dent and cannot be resized or re-engraved.

Karat stamps. Look for 14K or 585, 10K or 417, 18K or 750, or 925 for sterling. GP, GF, HGE and RGP mean plated or gold filled.

Made in Hawaiʻi or imported. Under Hawaiʻi law, “made in Hawaii” requires at least 51 percent of the wholesale value to be added in the state. Ask where the piece was made and engraved.

Our guide to Hawaiian jewelry prices explains how these choices affect cost.

Care

Wash gold in warm water with a little mild dish soap and a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry. Take rings off for pools, hot tubs and heavy work, and polish sterling with a silver cloth when it tarnishes.

How we make naupaka

We cut naupaka by hand on our Heirloom Scroll Ring, made to order in solid 14k yellow, white or rose gold. You can add a name or date inside; the engraving guide shows what fits, and the size guide helps with fit. We send a proof before we cut. We do not currently offer naupaka on our pendant or bracelet.