Ni’ihau shell leimaking is a traditional native Hawaiian art form that produces a highly-treasured form of jewelry. Pamela Dow, a Kekaha retailer of the jewelry, hopes to elevate the art form to a new level by showing and selling some
Ni’ihau shell leimaking is a traditional native Hawaiian art form that produces a highly-treasured form of jewelry.
Pamela Dow, a Kekaha retailer of the jewelry, hopes to elevate the art form to a new level by showing and selling some of her collection at a five-day event on O’ahu.
“My passion is the craft in itself and my mission is basically trying to keep the craft pure,” she said.
Determining the value of a Ni’ihau shell lei all too often involves just looking at the color and quantity of shells. Dow instead places equal importance on color, luster, quality of each shell, workmanship and design.
Dow and six of her Ni’ihau crafters will travel to O’ahu, offering on-site repairs of shell jewelry for a fee. “We will be able to help people by having the crafters on O’ahu for 5 days; we’re going to try to repair people’s little treasures,” Dow said.
Dow has been selling Ni’ihau shell leis for about six years at her Kekaha store, Forever Kauai, An Island Gift Company, and says she is known in the industry for having an amazing collection.
Her 30 jewelry crafters create work of such a high caliber that Dow has been invited to show her collection at the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt gallery of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Dow said she is there to put the best quality out there from many crafters, much like a gallery sells work by many different artists.
There is an appreciation for shell leis crafted by Ni’ihau leimakers among locals and mainland collectors alike, according to Dow.
“I’m more dedicated in education, preservation and keeping the art form of authentic shells from Ni’ihau separate from shells found anywhere else,” she said.
Jewelry made from shells found on other islands are often called “Ni’ihau shell leis” because the jewelrymakers use a similar style. Kahelelani shells, found on ‘Anini beach and other Kaua’i beaches, are also made into spectacular jewelry, but the shells found on Kaua’i beaches lack the natural luster of shells collected on Ni’ihau. The shells found on Ni’ihau are said to not lose their colors or fade.
Dow says she is interested in educating the public by making sure the lei she sells use only Ni’ihau shells.
Ni’ihau shell leimaking “is one of the few things that we have as indigenous Hawaiians, it’s art in its purest form,” Dow said.
For those interested in hopping a plane, the May 7-11 Ni’ihau shell lei event will be held in the Blaisdell Center’s Hawai’i Suites. For more information, call Dow at 337-2888.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
