Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Caring for your Hawaiian jewelry!

Many of our customers have asked about caring for their Hawaiian jewelry. I've listed here a few ways to keep your Hawaiian jewelry looking bright and shiny as it was when you first received it.

1. Store your Hawaiian jewelry in a clean, dry place.

2. Keep your Hawaiian jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or in a box with compartments and dividers. If you prefer to use ordinary boxes, wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper.

3. Don't jumble your Hawaiian jewelry pieces in a drawer or jewelry case. Pieces can scratch each other.

4. Be careful when removing your Hawaiian jewelry to wash your hands. Do not leave your Hawaiian jewelry on the rim of a sink where it can easily slip down the drain. Also, you can forget you took your jewelry off and leave it. A good friend of mine did this. She was heartbroken when she returned to the Airport restroom only to find someone had taken her ring.

5. See your jeweler at least once a year to have your Hawaiian jewelry checked for loose prongs, worn mountings, and general wear and tear.

6. Visit your jeweler every six months to have your Hawaiian jewelry professionally cleaned.

7. By all means remove your Hawaiian jewelry when you are cooking (it drives me crazy when I watch Paula Dean on TV mixing food with her hands with her wedding rings on), gardening or working on the car. (I knew a woman who was a mechanic and she would wear her Hawaiian bracelet when tuning up her car)

8. There are many types of small machines on the market that will clean Hawaiian jewelry in a matter of minutes using high-frequency sound. These machines are called "ultrasonic cleaners" and are available in many different models and prices. They can be a convenient way to quickly clean your Hawaiian jewelry at home.

9. If has been my experience that most jewelers outside of Hawaii are not familiar with the methods for producing Hawaiian jewelry and find it difficult to repair and work on Hawaiian jewelry, (many mainland jewelers have sent Hawaiian jewelry to us to repair for their customers) so I suggest having a Hawaiian jewelry manufacturer inspect your Hawaiian jewelry.

These are just a few ways to care for your Hawaiian jewelry. If you would like to add to this list please leave a comment.

Mahalo and aloha from Hawaii,

Colette
Designs 'N Gold

Friday, August 21, 2009

Emblems of Hawaii a surprise to many Americans


The following article from The San Francisco Chronicle is provided compliments of Designs 'N Gold to help commemorate the State of Hawaii's 50th anniversary of becoming a State.

The 50th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood, which became official on Aug. 21, 1959, is a cause for celebration for many — although not so much for those seeking to restore Native Hawaiian sovereignty. But leaving aside thorny political issues, the islands' state symbols can shed insight into the Aloha State's distinctive identity and sensitive environment. You might have guessed that hula is the official state dance, surfing the official individual sport (outrigger canoe paddling holds the team title) and the humuhumunukunukuapua'a the official fish. But how many of these other state emblems — and their back story — do you know?
State flower: The yellow hibiscus.
Back story: The Territory of Hawaii named the hibiscus, or pua alolo, its official flower in 1923, "no other blossom having so great a variety in color and form" — although a red bloom was usually depicted. The new state government simply kept the signature flower.
Going native: In 1988, the more culturally conscious legislature made a point of designating a unique native species, Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray, known in Hawaiian as ma'o hau hele, or "green traveling hau." It's a yellow hibiscus with leaves that turn green when dried.
Closer look: Although hibiscus hedges are ubiquitous in Hawaii, many are showy nonnative species. The state flower, now cultivated at nurseries, is one of the islands' many plants that are endangered in the wild. You can find native hibiscus at many garden preserves, though, including the visitor center at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai.
State bird: Nene (in Hawaiian, nēnē), or Hawaiian goose.
Back story: A distant relative of the Canada goose, Hawaii's Branta sandvicensis was found on nearly all the main islands when the first Polynesians arrived some 1,600 years ago. It's thought the birds' feet evolved to have less webbing to clamber over lava rocks. But by the Europeans' arrival in 1778, only the Big Island was known to be home to nene, and they declined quickly due to hunting, new predators and loss of habitat; by 1952, only an estimated 30 geese survived. The Territorial Legislature named the bird "emblematic" of Hawaii in 1957, and in 1988 it officially became the state bird.
Going native: With the help of the San Diego Zoo, captive-bred nene have been released on the Big Island, Kauai and Maui, in upland national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. On the federal endangered species list since 1967, some 1,800 nene live in the islands today. The most recent reintroduction program began in late 2001 on Molokai.
See for yourself: Kauai's Kilauea Point and Koke'e State Park, Maui's Haleakala National Park and the Big Island's Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park have the largest populations; you might also see some wandering around resorts in Lihue and Princeville, Kauai. Drive carefully, though: Car accidents are a leading cause of adult nene death.
State gem: Black coral.
Back story: Who knew there was such a thing as a state gem? But considering that Maui Divers Jewelry, which also turned 50 this year, created a retail empire out of black coral, the choice is as good as any. In 1958, two divers from Lahaina discovered the rare coral — whose living tissue can be a variety of colors — growing in the deep waters off Molokai. A year later, they opened a shop selling jewelry from the coral's polished black skeleton, and in 1987 legislators dubbed it the state gem. It wasn't until 2009, though, that scientists confirmed that the coral was a distinct species, renaming it Antipathes griggi after a local expert.
Going native: 'Ēkaha kū moana, as it's called in Hawaiian, shares its name with the land-based 'ēkaha, a bird's nest fern; kū moana means "standing in the ocean." Hawaiians traditionally used it to treat sores and lung problems. While Maui Divers harvests below the annual quota of coral for the area, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has said a recently introduced alien pest and increased harvesting "appear to threaten the future stability of the fishery."
See for yourself: Maui Divers recently opened its 52nd store, a "luxury collection," in Waikiki's newly reopened Royal Hawaiian hotel, while Mainland locations include San Francisco and Las Vegas. To see black coral in its pre-gem form, without being a diver, check out reef exhibits at the Waikiki Aquarium and the Maui Ocean Center.
State tree: Kukui (candlenut).
Back story: In 1930, a Territorial governor named the coconut palm (niu) as Hawaii's official tree. Hard to blame him: What would a Hawaii postcard be without a swaying palm on it somewhere? But a few months before Hawaii entered the union, the Legislature voted to make the kukui (Aleurites moluccana) the state tree, citing the "multiplicity of its uses to the ancient Hawaiians" as well as the "distinctive beauty of its light green foliage."
Going native: Neither the coconut nor the kukui tree is truly native, meaning endemic, to Hawaii: The Polynesian voyagers brought both as "canoe plants," which thrived in their new home. But Hawaiian traditions involving kukui — including telling time by the burning of its kernels, making leis from leaves and nuts, and treating digestive ailments with its oil — are particularly rich, including tales of the half-pig demigod Kamapua'a taking the form of a kukui from time to time. While kukui is not endangered, Hawaii's Division of Forestry has planted at least 16,000 throughout the state to protect watersheds.
See for yourself: The tree is common in moist lowland forests, and can easily be spotted en masse as a silvery-green streak on hillsides among darker green foliage. At Maui's Kapalua Resort, the arboretum trail overlooking the Pu'u Kukui Watershed Preserve, for example, reveals a sweeping vista of kukui in the West Maui mountains. Kukui leis can be found everywhere, but Maui's Ka'anapali Beach Hotel is famous for giving guests one that they can restring with a different colored nut upon each return visit.
State mammal: Hawaiian monk seal.
Back story: In 1979 the state chose the humpback whale as its state marine mammal, but technically speaking, Megaptera novaeangliae is only a part-time resident in the isles, spending summers in Alaskan waters, and it's found in oceans all over the world. In contrast, the rare Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is an endemic year-rounder. Legislators gave it state mammal status in 2008 — not too tough a decision, since the Hawaiian hoary bat is the only other native mammal.
Going native: The monk seal's mouthful of a Hawaiian name, 'īlio-holo-i-ka-ua-ua, is akin to "dog running in rough waters." The vast majority of the remaining 1,200 or so seals live in the relatively protected waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, much of which is now a marine natural monument, but their numbers continue to decline. Marine debris, fishing lines and ailing reefs have joined sharks and disease in contributing to the seals' demise. The seal joined the endangered species list in 1976.
Closer look: For a guaranteed sighting, feeding time for the Waikiki Aquarium's two male monk seals is your best bet. But increasingly seals are hauling out at popular beaches, such as Lāwa'i and Po'ipū on Kauai and Hakalau on the Big Island, or spotted swimming off Oahu's Windward Side. To avoid harassing them (and a fine of up to $25,000), stay at least 150 feet away and definitely behind any protective barricades. Check out more viewing guidelines posted by the Kaua'i Monk Seal Watch Program, which hosts a free weekly educational program at the Kauai Sheraton Resort.
State insect: Pulelehua (Kamehameha butterfly)
Back story: The newest of Hawaii's state symbols, selected by legislators in April 2009, didn't have a lot of competition when it came to good looks: Of the thousands of insect species in Hawaii, only two butterflies are native. Similar to the introduced monarch butterfly, the red-orange and black Vanessa tameamea is larger than the native koa butterfly (also called Blackburn's blue).
Going native: In Hawaiian, pulelehua is also a generic term for butterfly, meaning "blown in the air." Both the Kamehameha and monarch butterflies also share the name lepelepe-o-Hina, the goddess Hina's fringe, with a kind of coral and seaweed. While the pulelehua is not officially endangered, the decline in mamaki, a native thornless nettle on which the butterfly lays its eggs, and in koa forests, where it feeds on sap, are a cause for concern.
Closer look: On the Big Island, check out the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, in Captain Cook (12 miles south of Kailua-Kona) or the Kīpukapua'ulu grove within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Ridge trails, such as the 'Aiea Loop in Keaīwa Heiau State Park on Oahu or Waihe'e Ridge on West Maui, may also offer photo ops.
Jeanne Cooper is the former Chronicle Travel Editor and author of SFGate's Hawaii Insider (www.sfgate.com/blogs/hawaiiinsider), a daily blog about Hawaii travel and island culture.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Origin of Hawaiian Jewelry


Queen Liliuokalani admired the British and patterned her reign after Queen Victoria's of England. Her British counterpart, so legend goes, presented Queen Liliuokalani with a solid gold bracelet with OLD ENGLISH Lettering, enameled in ebony. Queen Liliuokalani wore it always. Soon the ALII commanded that ALL Hawaiian goldsmiths, throughout the kingdom, learn the tedious art. A HAWAIIAN JEWELRY TRADITION WAS BORN.

Today our craftsman patiently and skillfully engrave your Hawaiian name in solid 14Kt. gold. Our artisans are taught to handcraft each bracelet, ring or pendant, to meticulous standards. Ours is still more an ART FORM than the product of mass production. Its is in the tradition of hand-crafted excellence that we proudly present our line of HAWAIIAN JEWELRY.
Today, as in Queen Liliuokalani's day it still takes the same number of hand-crafted operations to produce a single piece of HAWAIIAN JEWELRY. The lettering for the name is first drawn over Chinese white chalk and then lightly engraved so that when the chalk is removed the imprint of the letters can still be seen in order to be completely cut by hand. Several engraving tools are needed for this process alone. After the cutting of the letters, the enamel must be mixed and readied for its part in the creation of an HAWAIIAN JEWELRY HEIRLOOM. The enamel used is of a silicon granular type (not paint) that is mixed with liquid, then put into the carved out name and then heated to more than 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then sanded, polished and buffed. This process is repeated three times to insure only the highest quality. Then the real expertise of the engraver starts. The master engraver begins his long sought after skill of etching around the name causing the light to dance off the HAWAIIAN JEWELRY HEIRLOOM.


Now, the engraver's more than a decade of training manifests itself into flowers, leaves and swirls on the back of the bracelet and ring. Finally he is at his polishing wheel sanding and buffing with countless abrasives, tripolis and rouges until this marvelous creation of man and nature is born.

Not just another ordinary piece of jewelry a person wears and forgets in their jewelry box, but a genuine HAWAIIAN JEWELRY HEIRLOOM to be worn with pride and handed down to the next generation and the next.......Indeed a tradition was born with that first bracelet of Queen Liliuokalani. It is a gift that women and men of all ages desire and a gift that the giver can be proud of because they know their HAWAIIAN JEWELRY gift is not a fad, soon to be forgotten, but a TIMELESS and ENDURING gift that will ever beckon back memories of the person and events that led to its giving.

Mahalo and aloha from Hawaii,

Colette
Designs 'N Gold


Friday, August 7, 2009

Hawaiian Alchemy; Jewelry Manufacturer Launches New Process to Turn Old Items Into New


Designs 'N Gold, a Hawaiian jewelry manufacturer has devised a method of turning old, broken and unused jewelry into a new piece of jewelry help save customers money while at the same time helping to save the planet.

Designs N Gold, a Hawaii based Hawaiian jewelry manufacturer, is pleased to announce the launch of their method for turning old, broken and unused jewelry into new Hawaiian heirlooms bracelets, rings, pendants or other types of jewelry.Clients who wish to recycle old gold and silver can choose from 2000+ design molds or custom design an entirely new piece of jewelry for themselves or as a gift for a loved one. Clients are also able to keep cherished mementos in a new form of jewelry rather than selling it as scrap gold and silver where dealers may pay them pennies on the dollar.Recycling also helps save the planet. For every ounce of scrap gold or silver that is recycled into new jewelry, the need for the mining companies to mine a ton of earth is reduced. It is estimated that for an average 18-karat gold ring leaves 20 tons of polluted mining waste behind. There are also pollution risks. For example in 1992 in Summitville, Colorado (USA), a containment dam that held mine waste from a gold mining operation burst. The escaped toxic waste killed all life along a 25 km stretch of a nearby river. Finally, recycling also reduces the consumption of resources and energy."Our jewelers/engravers enjoy taking scrap and turning it into a beautiful piece of jewelry which gives them them a great since of pride" said Hawaiian born and raised Colette Aoki, owner of Designs 'N Gold. "Recycling old, broken and unused jewelry into new Hawaiian jewelry not only saves our clients money but also allows them to be a part of helping to save our planet's precious resources for future generations."Colette's customers who have had a chance to try this process are very enthusiastic. Susan of San Diego, CA writes "Thanks very much for the follow-up. I received the bracelet on Friday of last week- it is so beautiful! I am really happy with it". While April of Maui, Hawaii writes "I received the ring, yesterday and I was already so anxious to open the box. Opened it and oh my. Why, it's surely the ultimate beautiful ring I have ever seen. Most of all it's well made. Thank your designer from the bottom of my heart. I have been sharing with people about your business. I am spreading the word of the great job you all have done.”About Designs 'N GoldThe owner of Designs 'N Gold, Colette Aoki, has been in the jewelry business in Hawaii since 1976. Over that period she has designed jewelry for thousands of clients in Hawaii as well as worldwide. In 1985 she acquired the jewelry manufacturer, Designs 'N Gold, which gave her the ability to control the entire jewelry making process from design to finished product. Designs 'N Gold's expert jewelers and engravers create each piece of Hawaiian jewelry including pendants, earrings, bracelets, and wedding rings.Contact98-1277 Kaahumanu Street, Suite: 106-339Aiea,Hawaii 96701Tel Local: 808-484-2699 Tel Outer Island & Mainland: 800-343-5846Web: http://www.designsngold.com