HIE Heirlooms of Hawai'i Joins the World of Fine Jewelry
The word "heirloom" gets thrown around a lot these days—especially in the world of fine jewelry. At its most simple definition, it's a possession handed down from generation to generation. But often, these pieces exist at the intersection of the individual and the family tradition. Native Hawaiians Noel Shaw and Meleana Estes are looking to turn this notion on its head with the just-launched fine jewelry brand HIE Heirlooms of Hawai'i by cultivating an old bracelet custom that has been passed down through the generations.
The heirlooms in question: simple solid gold bracelets, and a tradition stemming from 1862 and the (then future) Queen Lili'uokalani's engagement portrait. The beloved Hawaiian royal wore an understated gold bracelet with the phrase “Ho'omana'o Mau," or "to remember always" on it. Today, Hawaiians wear similarly designed gold bracelets with inscriptions of the recipient's name or a meaningful phrase. Mothers wear their daughter's (or son's!) bracelets until they are ready to pass them on when their children come of age. And that's where HIE Hawai'i comes in, to carry the Hawaiian bracelet tradition into the future.
About four years ago, Shaw and Estes started the process of designing pieces in honor of their children, because the thought of not continuing the ritual was unthinkable. The design process ended up being quite involved—and the duo evolved into wanting to share the gold pieces with anyone who wanted to participate. "We are so passionate about what these bracelets mean to us, to our families," says Shaw. "Each piece would prompt a discussion about our grandmothers and the women who came before us ... We would often re-tell the stories of these women to each other time and time again."
For these women, a simple gold bangle represents the ability to reconnect with one's lineage and the women who came before them. And as Estes recalls, both founders' families have a history together that spans generations—not only were their parents all high school friends, but their grandparents knew each other as well. "We grew up on different islands, but have many shared childhood experiences of playing in the ocean, family lūau (to name a few), and included in that was the familiar jingle of our aunties, our tūtū's (grandmothers') and our mom's Hawaiian bracelets," she says.
These bracelets are not for everyone, though. Both Shaw and Estes underscore the importance that they are not simply trying to mass produce and disperse Hawaiian tradition—but rather aim to craft connection to Hawai'i with an understanding of the complex history and culture that exists on the islands. "You do not need to be Hawaiian, or even from Hawai'i to participate in this tradition, but our hope would be that you have some personal connection to these islands, be that a place, a memory, a loved one or even an experience here in Hawai'i."
Estes adds, "We hope that when someone sees or wears their bracelets they feel a connection to a person or to Hawai'i as a place, not just what is advertised as 'Hawai'i.' Aloha is a word used in Hawai'i that means so much more than 'hello,''goodbye,' and 'love.' The spirt of aloha is what guides so many people who live here. This is our small part in sharing a little more of Hawai'i with the world and showing aloha to a tradition that we want to see carry on."
Estes also emphasizes the opportunity HIE has to help educate the public about complicated history of Hawai'i. One such story carried on in the HIE heirlooms can be found with the bracelets engraved with the words, "Ke Aloha O Ka Haku," which translates to "The Queen's Prayer," a hymn the last monarch composed during her house arrest at the 'Iolani Palace. The monarch was imprisoned to her palace after her court was illegally overthrown in 1893. The hymn, which is taught in school today, articulates both Queen's faith and forgiveness of those who imprisoned her. So why put this on a bracelet? "We want to help people understand this part of our history," says Estes, "Our Queen loved her kingdom of Hawai'i, she was strong and steadfast in her beliefs and efforts to benefit her people. I know both Noel and I see similar strength in many women who have influenced us. There's an inner strength and work ethic to these women who have taught us to practice our culture."
There's a belief that these everyday pieces carry the essence of the original wearer and that is passed on to the next person who wears them. So it comes as no surprise that there are designs for both Shaw and Estes's "tūtūs" (as they refer to them)—women who were not just grounded in their communities, but also tremendously impactful within their own families.
Connection goes beyond tradition and history though—it's also in the network of the two women too. Whether you're speaking to Aubrey Yee, a writer and healer, who was born and raised on Oahu, or Cappy Tseu, owner of Number 808 Boutique in Haleiwa, the pride in HIE and Hawaiian heirloom bracelets is evident. "I've known Noel for most of my life," says Yee. "It is so beautiful to see the way that HIE is honoring the potent traditions of Hawai'i, bringing these beacons of the past forward for our children so that they too may understand the ancestral lineage of Hawai'i and its power."
Tseu adds, "I have a personal connection to HIE, not only as a Hawaiian but also as Noel and Mele are dear friends of mine. They have stylishly honored the traditions Hawaiian heirloom jewelry in a modern way, and they exude the Hawaiian spirit which you can feel that in their bracelets."
The collection includes customizable pieces and all of the bracelets, whether engraved or with the traditional black enamel, come in solid 14K, 18K or rose gold and are available online as well as at Ron Herman in Waikiki.
To paraphrase Estes, HIE's bracelets are simple and refined—and can keep a bit of Hawai'i with us wherever we are in the world.
You Might Also Like
