Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 10, 1 October 1991 — Kukui jewelry [ARTICLE]

Kukui jewelry

By Ann L. Moore Real Hawaiian kukui nut jewelry is still produced by The Hawaiian Kukui Nut Company. "I do it for love. It's a bit of Hawai'i I would hate to see disappear," says owner Dana Gray. The highly prized Hawaiian kukui nut lei is hand-strung on traditional black ribbon, with a small knot between eaeh shell. The company makes varied lengths and styles. The average price ranges from $20 to $40. At the store a small rack of "seconds" is usually on sale at reduced prices. A highly polished, half-shell black kukui nut lei that Gray has named Lei Alii is available in a limited supply. Two are usually on display at the shop and orders are taken for the $100 lei. Other kukui jewelry is available at modest prices. The shop is open every day. Tours of the workshop are conducted on weekdays. The phone number is 637-5620 on Oahu. The toll free number is 800-367-6010. Also available at the store is macadamia nut cooking oil, prized by world-class chefs for its stability at high cooking temperatures. It is slowIy becoming known to the general public.