Where to buy Hawaiian jewelry on Oʻahu

Most visitors buy Hawaiian jewelry on Oʻahu in Waikīkī, along Kalākaua Avenue and in the shopping centers on it, or at Ala Moana Center nearby. Some of the island’s makers work from Honolulu workshops and studios rather than shopfronts. Outside town, Haleʻiwa, Kailua, Lāʻie and Kapolei have smaller shops and galleries, several of them selling work by local makers. Wherever you shop, ask where a piece was made and engraved, because Oʻahu has both pieces made on the island and imported pieces, often in the same store.

How shopping for jewelry on Oʻahu differs

Oʻahu has the most listings in our directory, and more of the island’s jewelry is made here than visitors often expect. Several businesses in our directory say they make pieces in Honolulu: one heirloom company describes a factory, others a workshop or a one-person studio. The directory also lists Honolulu makers who sell online, by appointment or through stockists on several islands rather than from a storefront, so it is worth contacting them before you go.

Two companies in the directory have stores on several islands, and they appear in the table below on every island page, including this one. Maui Divers Jewelry, for example, says its pieces are made at its design center in Honolulu.

The volume of shops also means more imported stock. Hawaiian motifs such as plumeria, honu and scroll lettering are made in large numbers outside the state and sold in Waikīkī alongside local work. Our guide to made-in-Hawaiʻi jewelry explains the labels and what to ask.

Where to shop on Oʻahu

Waikīkī

Kalākaua Avenue is the main shopping street. The Royal Hawaiian Center spans about three blocks of it, and the International Market Place, first opened in 1956 and rebuilt in 2016, keeps its old banyan tree at the center. Between them you’ll find international luxury brands, Hawaiian jewelry specialists, resort boutiques and souvenir stalls. It is the easiest place to compare many pieces in one afternoon, and the place where checking origin matters most.

Ala Moana and downtown Honolulu

Ala Moana Center opened in 1959 and is often described as the world’s largest open-air shopping center. It has department stores and many specialty stores; check its store directory for current jewelry tenants.

Honolulu itself is where much of Oʻahu’s jewelry is made. Honolulu Magazine reported that one heirloom jewelry company has run a factory tour in downtown Honolulu with a lesson in hand engraving. Several studio makers in the directory work by appointment, so book ahead if you want to see work at the bench or talk through a custom order.

Haleʻiwa and the North Shore

Haleʻiwa is the North Shore’s historic surf town, about an hour’s drive from Waikīkī. Its galleries, surf shops and boutiques sit in plantation-era buildings. Gallery stock changes, so ask whether a piece was made by an island artist and where.

Kailua

Kailua, on the windward side, has independent boutiques and gift shops, some stocking work by Hawaiʻi artisans, and a town farmers market with craft booths. Ask each shop which pieces are made locally and by whom.

Lāʻie

The Hukilau Marketplace opened in 2015 beside the Polynesian Cultural Center, with free admission and a mix of gift shops and independent vendors. Among them is Pearl Factory, which the directory lists as making 14K gold mountings for pearls, with the option to choose a pearl from an oyster. Read our guide to pick-a-pearl before you open one.

Kapolei

Ka Makana Aliʻi in Kapolei has Noʻeau Designers, a locally owned shop selling goods from Hawaiʻi makers, including jewelry. KITV reported in 2025 that the center had started a weekly local vendor market; check the current schedule before going.

Made on Oʻahu or imported: how to tell

Hawaiʻi law (HRS §486-119) says goods can be labeled “made in Hawaii” only if at least 51 percent of their wholesale value was added in the state. “Hawaiian style”, “island inspired” or “designed in Hawaiʻi” mean something different. In a shop, ask:

• Where was this piece formed, and where was it engraved?
• Is the pattern cut by hand, or machine-engraved or cast?
• Is the name engraved by hand, and by whom?
• What karat is it, solid or hollow, and what does it weigh?

Hand-cut engraving has bright, faceted cuts and small variations; cast or machine patterns repeat exactly. Our guide to hand-engraved and machine-engraved jewelry shows what to look for.

For prices, the survey below and our Hawaiian jewelry price guide give the ranges. In the October 2026 survey, 14k gold heirloom bracelets ran from about $1,600 to about $17,000 depending on width, size and construction.

Timing: engraving and sizing on a short trip

If you want a name engraved, order on your first or second day. Turnaround depends on the shop, how busy it is and whether the engraving is done by hand, and a shop that makes pieces to order may need longer than a shop engraving stock pieces. Before paying, ask for a date, and ask whether the shop will ship the piece if it isn’t ready. Our guide to engraving before your flight has more on this.

Fingers swell in heat and after flying, so size rings late in the day and allow for a little room.

Before you go

• Contact studios first. Several Oʻahu makers in the directory work by appointment or sell through stockists.
• Check the festival calendar. The Made in Hawaiʻi Festival is held each August in Honolulu; in 2026 it ran from August 20 to 23 at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. It is a good way to meet many local makers at once.
• Get it in writing. Ask for the karat, weight, origin and engraving method on the receipt.
• Keep the receipt. You’ll need it for warranty, resizing and any customs or insurance questions at home.