Niihau Shells Feature

FEATURING
lei pūpū ‘o ni’ihau
This Valentine’s Day, gift your special someone their very own piece of Hawai’i from the island
of Ni’ihau. Known as “The Forbidden Island,” Ni’ihau is home to a particular group of precious
shells that have been used in the customs and traditions of native artisans. Ni’ihau’s highly skilled
artisans have developed a shell lei due to the fact that the drier climate of the island is not suitable for fresh flower leis, unlike the other islands. The art of making these highly intricate leis, lei
pūpū o’ Ni’ihau, over generations, has created a fine art so valuable that its craft is protected by
law.
Producing specialty jewelry that sells as a luxury, a Ni’ihau Shell Lei can be worth as much as
$40,000 USD. Various factors determine the price of one of these leis, such as the style of the
lei (casual or dressy), color, size and type of individual shells, and of course, the quality of the
stringing and length of the lei as a whole. Stringing is one of the major factors, as it is the most
tedious and time consuming; each small, precious shell is individually sewn to create these intricate Ni’ihau Shell Leis, requiring a high level of skill, technique and patience from an artisan.
Retailers working directly
with Ni’ihau artisans:
Oahu
Nā Mea Hawai’i (Ward Warehouse in Honolulu)
Bishop Museum Shop Pacifica (Honolulu)
Honolulu Academy of Arts Gift Shop (Honolulu)
Kauai
Waimea Canyon General Store/Forever Kauai (Kekaha)
Ni’ihau Helicopters (Kaumakani)
Mariko (Hanapēpē)
JJ Ohana (Hanapēpē)
Kauai Fine Arts (Hanapēpē)
Hawaiian Trading Post (Lāwa’i)
Kaua’i Museum Gift Shop (Līhu’e)
Kauai Gold (Coconut Marketplace)
Maui
Maui Ocean Center (Ma`alaea)
Big Island
Harbor Gallery (Kawaihae)
A $25,000 multi-strand lei, made of momi and kahelelani shells