Hawaiian Jewelry
British cultural influence in Hawaii was powerful starting in the late 18th-century in all facets of life, including jewelry. During the 19th-century, when black enameled jewelry came back into fashion among the upper echelons of English society, Hawaiian society followed suit. Queen Lili‘uokalani followed the example of Queen Victoria, designing her jewelry to emulate the British style. Her gold and enamel pieces honored her feelings for the Islands by featuring native terms such as Hoomanao Mau (Lasting Remembrance), R. Naiu (Royalty, the Lofty Ones) and Liliuonamoku (Lili‘u of the Islands). Hawaiian jewelers began to copy her designs, incorporating shell and kukui work into their pieces.
They also incorporated words that held meaning for the individual wearers. Modern Hawaiian-style heirloom jewelry has come full circle: when the British wore it in the 1800s, it was out of a sense of nostalgia, and the Hawaiian created something new from it. Its relatively recent popularity is reminiscent of the nostalgia first experienced by the British.
Various jewelers and brokers on the Islands buy, sell, and create Hawaiian heirloom jewelry in the tradition of Lili‘uokalani. The jewelry crafted today features a more elegant look with diamond cuts that reflect light and add radiance to each piece. The jewelry is commonly engraved, adding both a personal touch and prolonging its life, as the etchings protect the jewelry from scratches.
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