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What Hawaiian jewelry designs mean

The honu (sea turtle), the makau (fish hook), the koholā (humpback whale) and the maile vine come from old Hawaiian life and story. Plumeria, pineapple and monstera arrived later from other parts of the world and are loved today as symbols of the islands.

Greenleaf guides 6 min read

0.43 ct Tsavorite Turtle Charm Necklace in 14K Yellow Gold, worn

Honu: the green sea turtle

The honu is the Hawaiian green sea turtle, and you may well see one in the water off Wailea. In Hawaiian belief the honu is one of the forms an ʻaumakua, a family's ancestral guardian, can take. That bond belongs to particular families through their lineage, so a honu pendant is a way to remember the islands and, for some families, something deeper.

Hawaiʻi's green turtles are protected as a threatened species. NOAA asks swimmers to stay at least 10 feet away, and the state asks that nobody touch, chase or ride them.

See all sea turtle pieces

Makau: the fish hook

Makau means fish hook. Hawaiians carved hooks from bone, shell, wood and stone, and the Bishop Museum in Honolulu holds thousands of them, made between about the years 1000 and 1600. In Hawaiian story the demigod Māui used his hook, Manaiakalani, to pull the islands up from the sea.

The idea that a fish hook pendant brings luck and safe travel over water comes mostly from the Māori hei matau of New Zealand and from jewelry sellers. The Hawaiian side is respect for the ocean and for the fishing that fed the islands.

See all fish hook pieces

Koholā: the humpback whale tail

Koholā is the humpback whale. In Hawaiian tradition whales are among the forms of Kanaloa, god of the sea, and some families honor them as ʻaumākua. Humpbacks travel from Alaska to Hawaiian waters each winter to breed and raise their calves. NOAA's sanctuary says they arrive in the fall, are most common from January to March, and are gone by early May. The water off Wailea is part of that sanctuary.

See all whale pieces

Nalu: waves

Nalu is the Hawaiian word for a wave or surf. It also means to think something over. Surfing, heʻe nalu or "wave sliding", is a Hawaiian practice with deep roots, and in Hawaiian tradition the ocean is one of the forms of the god Kanaloa.

See all wave pieces

Niu: the coconut palm

Niu, the coconut palm, is one of the "canoe plants" the first Polynesian voyagers carried to Hawaiʻi. It gave them food, drinking water, rope, thatch and containers. One pair below has koa inlay, the native Hawaiian hardwood.

See all palm tree pieces

Maile: the wedding lei

Maile is a native vine whose fragrant leaves and bark are twisted into an open lei. It is the lei of big occasions: weddings, graduations and openings. At a Hawaiian wedding the groom often wears one. A maile pattern suits a wedding band or an anniversary piece. Ask us what is in the case, or talk to us about a custom design.

Hawaiian heirloom bracelets

The gold bracelet with black lettering is the best-known Hawaiian jewelry of all. Black enamel on gold was a Victorian mourning style. In 1862 the future Queen Liliʻuokalani had a gold bracelet made reading "Hoʻomanaʻo Mau", lasting remembrance, and she wore it throughout her life. A bracelet of hers is shown at ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu. You will often read that Queen Victoria gave her the bracelet in 1887; she was already wearing one 25 years earlier.

Hawaiian families still give these bracelets at births, graduations and weddings and pass them down. Our engraved floral scroll bangle carries the look, with "Maui" inside.

Plumeria

Plumeria came to Hawaiʻi in 1860, brought from the Americas by the botanist William Hillebrand. It became one of the most-used lei flowers in the islands. Because it arrived in the 1800s, it has no place in ancient Hawaiian tradition, and the meanings sellers give it (love, new beginnings) are modern. For most visitors it is the scent and shape of a Hawaiian welcome.

A white plumeria flower lying on wet sand

See all plumeria pieces

Hibiscus

Hawaiʻi's state flower is a hibiscus, and it is yellow. In 1988 the state named the native yellow maʻo hau hele as its official flower, and it is now endangered. The big red and pink hibiscus on most prints and jewelry are imported garden kinds.

Pineapple and monstera

Neither is native. The pineapple reached Hawaiʻi by 1813 and became the symbol of the plantation era of the 1900s. Its meaning of hospitality comes from colonial America and Britain, where the fruit was rare and costly. The monstera leaf came from Central America as a garden plant and became "Hawaiian" through aloha shirts and resort design.

Dolphins, octopus, seahorse and sea star

The naiʻa (dolphin) and the heʻe (octopus) both appear among the forms of Kanaloa in Hawaiian tradition. Federal law bars swimming with spinner dolphins or coming within 50 yards of them near shore. Hawaiʻi also has a seahorse found nowhere else, Fisher's seahorse, and the sea star is called hōkū kai, "sea star". Seahorse and sea star pieces have no traditional Hawaiian meaning.

See everything Hawaiian

What "aloha" means

The Hawaiian dictionary gives aloha as love, affection, compassion and kindness, as well as hello and goodbye. Hawaiʻi even has an Aloha Spirit law, written with the Maui elder Pilahi Paki's teaching in mind. You may hear that aloha comes from "alo" (presence) and "hā" (breath); that is a popular story, and the dictionary traces the word to the older Polynesian word ʻalofa.

Gabriel was absolutely amazing- reading my mind in designing my new wedding ring using my engagement diamond and Hawaiian theme. He is so friendly and truly loves what he does. And he's so excited for his customers.
Susie C.

What we would do: choose the design whose story means something to you. For a Hawaiian meaning, start with a honu or a makau; for a memory of the trip, a plumeria or a wave.

See them in Wailea

Every piece here is in the case at our store in the Shops at Wailea, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Come and try them on, or browse everything Hawaiian online first.

Sources

Pieces in this guide

Common questions

What does a sea turtle (honu) mean in Hawaiian jewelry?

In Hawaiian belief the honu is one of the forms an ʻaumakua, a family's ancestral guardian, can take. That bond belongs to particular families. For most people a honu piece remembers the islands and the turtles seen in the water.

What does a Hawaiian fish hook necklace mean?

Makau means fish hook. Hawaiians carved hooks from bone, shell and wood, and in Hawaiian story Māui pulled the islands from the sea with his hook. The luck and safe-travel meaning comes mostly from the Māori hei matau of New Zealand and from jewelry sellers.

Is plumeria native to Hawaiʻi?

No. Plumeria was brought to Hawaiʻi in 1860 by the botanist William Hillebrand and became one of the most-used lei flowers. It has no place in ancient Hawaiian tradition.

What is Hawaiʻi's state flower?

The native yellow hibiscus, maʻo hau hele, named the state flower in 1988. The red hibiscus seen on most jewelry is an imported garden kind.

Where do Hawaiian heirloom bracelets come from?

Gold bracelets with black enamel lettering follow a Victorian mourning style. In 1862 the future Queen Liliʻuokalani had one made reading Hoʻomanaʻo Mau, lasting remembrance, and families still give them at births, graduations and weddings.

When is whale season on Maui?

Humpback whales arrive in the fall, are most common from January to March and leave by early May, according to NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

More guides

Every piece on our site is in the case at the Shops at Wailea, open daily from 10am–9pm. Come in and try it on, call us at (808) 874-1118, or book a video call from home.