When Halekulani hotel ambassador Melissa Mancao-Young enters a room, the soft, melodic jingling of her Hawaiian heirloom bracelets often precedes her arrival. On her wrists, the pair of gold bracelets gleam, rich with significance—a connection to not only her Hawaiian roots but also her family.
One bracelet, willed to her after her mother’s passing in 2008, serves as a cherished reminder of her late mother, while the other, engraved with her daughter’s name, Crishelle Kaleiohoku Young, is a piece she plans to pass down one day. “Wearing the heirloom jewelry keeps me close to my ‘ohana and keeps me grounded and centered in who I am,” Mancao-Young says. They symbolize a mother’s love as well as the spirit of her Hawaiian culture—one that endures from the uniting of the Hawaiian Islands to the Kingdom’s overthrow to today.
Hawaiian heirloom jewelry can be traced back to Queen Lili‘uokalani, Hawai‘i’s last monarch. As a princess, she is said to have received a gold bracelet from Queen Victoria at the Golden Jubilee in England in 1887. This gift, passed from one sovereign to another, sparked a cultural tradition among women in Hawai‘i, who often looked to ali‘i (royalty) for style inspiration. Over time, these bracelets became more than fine jewelry—they became symbols of love and heritage and are often passed down as treasured heirlooms. According to Mancao-Young, each piece holds significant meaning: “There is always a story behind it.”
Star Dahl-Thurston echoes the sentiment. “To me, heirloom bracelets have always symbolized a rite of passage—a cherished gift given to mark milestones and celebrate someone’s journey,” she says. “They embody tradition, love, and the enduring connections between generations.”
Dahl-Thurston holds two pieces dearly: one, a bracelet from her grandmother, resized for her upon her graduation from high school, and another, engraved with her name and crafted by Royal Hawaiian Heritage Jewelry to commemorate her title as Miss Hawai‘i 2023. “Each bracelet I wear inspires me to honor the legacy of the strong women they represent,” she says.
While the gold bands worn by women in Hawai‘i are instantly recognizable, the individual patterns and engravings are, upon closer scrutiny, uniquely personal. The bracelets embody their owners’ memories and personal aesthetic. “You knew the aunties for the style they had,” says Meleana Estes, a cultural practitioner, designer, and lei maker from Honolulu. “It was sort of a marker for kama‘āina women.” Estes and her childhood friend and hanai cousin Noël Shaw are the founders of Hie Heirlooms of Hawai‘i, a bespoke jewelry collection perpetuating the tradition of Hawaiian heirloom jewelry with a modern flair.
Designing heirloom jewelry was a natural evolution for the two women. In 2023, while both were expecting their first child, they began contemplating the pieces they wanted to give their children but struggled to find jewelers capable of rekindling the traditional bracelet patterns they envisioned. “There wasn’t anyone making them in the flat, understated style we were used to seeing,” Estes says. So, they decided to create their own.
The pair spent countless evenings at Estes’ tūtū’s house, brainstorming designs and consulting with other jewelry makers. After speaking with Hawaiian language experts, they landed on the name Hie, which means “to beautify.” The process of examining their families’ jewelry collections led to a serendipitous exploration of their own lineages. “Everything we were relearning, I didn’t know how deep my connection had gone,” Estes says. “And we’re sort of trying to do that for everybody.”
For Estes and Shaw, jewelry extends beyond simple adornment; it serves as a lovely, meaningful tribute to the past. Their collection honors the matriarchs in their families: one bracelet features a delicate fleur-de-lis pattern inspired by a piece passed down to Shaw over six generations from her namesake matriarch. The original bracelet was a gift from the queen herself, who had been a dear friend to Shaw’s great-great grandmother in the late 1800s. Another piece, named after Estes’ late tūtū, Amelia Ana, showcases iconic Old English font and intricate end caps. “We wanted to honor women and the women who came before us,” Estes explains. Other pieces offer more contemporary finishes, with clean lines and botanical-inspired accents.
In addition to her 100-year-old bracelet, Shaw wears another bangle gifted to her from her mother. Engraved with the name Noël, it is one of three bracelets her mother had made for each of her three children and wore until each of them left for college. When Shaw lived outside of Hawai‘i, and now, whenever she travels off-island, the bracelets serve as a lifeline back home. “It’s like a nametag, your badge—a deep love for the culture and tradition,” she says.
Customers often share the heartfelt stories behind their own heirloom jewelry with Estes and Shaw when purchasing a bracelet from Hie. “I feel like we’re becoming part of families’ stories,” Estes says, a lovely testament to how Hawaiian heirloom jewelry is not just worn; it is lived through generations.
