Shopping for fine jewelry with a story behind a piece and the intention of passing it down through generations, a practice called heritage jewelry, is having a moment. Technically, it’s a centuries-old trend but it’s feeling particularly fresh due to shoppers’ current interest in ethical sourcing, opportunities for customization, investment in something that can stand up to daily wear and a compelling backstory.
But what’s the best selection process for finding a meaningful, well-made, personalized piece of heirloom jewelry and what is important to know before you buy? Founders of heritage jewelry brand and share what you need to know before buying, how to find something that speaks to you and share some of life’s most jewelry-worthy milestones that are worthy of investing in generational jewels.
What are the basics that anyone new to heritage jewelry needs to know?
“Heritage pieces tell a story, evoke emotion, and connect the wearer back to a moment in time or a special person,” shares Heritage of Hawai’i co-founder Meleana Estes. Inspired by heritage bracelets that had been passed down to them from earlier generations of women, both Estes and Shaw set out to create a brand that offers contemporary versions of historic-inspired Hawaiian bracelets. Now popular gifts for milestones among celebrities from Evan Mock to Kelia Moniz, their Hawaiian artisan-made Heritage of Hawaii pieces have become a popular source for celebrating new milestones, especially those around motherhood.
Finding a cultural connection to a heritage piece can be part of the story that is told throughout generations. “The tradition of the Hawaiian Heirloom bracelet started in the mid to late 1800’s, and Cartier designed the first Love bracelet in New York City in 1969,” shares Estes. She continues, “Our last reigning monarch, the beloved Queen Liliʻuokalani, was known to have worn a bracelet in the style of the Victorian Mourning Jewelry, which rose in popularity following the death of Prince Albert in 1861. She gifted bracelets in this same style to close friends and confidants, igniting a love for this style of bracelet that continues in Hawaiʻi today.”
With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, Shaw reflects on the matrilineal nature of her own jewelry collection. “My family’s personal bracelet collection dates back to 1881 beginning with a gift from Queen Liliʻuokalani to my third-great grandmother, Nakanealoha. In many families, collections such as this exist – shared amongst family to mark an occasion or a special time. Mele and I were so lucky to enter motherhood in the same year and when our kids were about seven years old, we started to look at each other and wonder why we had not created bracelets with our children’s names to wear and one day pass on to them.” Shaw and Estes both feel that entering motherhood is a perfect opportunity for a heritage piece. She continues, “We both received our first bracelets at the age of 16. They were given to our moms when we were born to wear in honor of having us and infused with their energy, stories, grace and love and then passed along to us on this special birthday. We hope to bring this practice to other families.”
Only purchase gold or platinum, and don’t worry about resizing are two insights that Shaw and Estes … [+]
Source: Heirlooms of Hawaii
Ensure that any heritage piece is practically suited for everyday living
In addition to understanding what culturally speaks to the wearer, consider how practical the physical components of a piece of jewelry are. What is their daily routine like and is a particular heritage suited to it? Estes shares that, “Both Mele and I never take our jewelry off, and we designed the line for women like us, who live in their jewelry. Our customers gravitate to our pieces because they are designed for an active lifestyle. Our Hawaiian women monarchs, as well as influential women in our lives, never sat on the sidelines. We are active participants in our communities and, most often, we are very physical daily – hiking, cooking, surfing, swimming, diving, working in the garden, creating art or crafting with our kids.”
Shaw says of own inherited bracelet, “My heirloom bracelet, which I wear daily, is from the 1800s. The inside of the heirloom is engraved January 1, 1881. Meleana’s bracelets are 40 and 60 years old, and we never take them off. It is with us always. We think it is especially important to include a date on your heirloom piece so your relatives many generations from now can date the origination of that piece back to a specific moment in time, and ideally a specific person within their family.
What should anyone currently looking to purchase a gift or add to their collection be asking about the manufacturing process to ensure longevity of a new piece of jewelry?
A heritage item will likely be treasured no matter what, but if the hope is for it to be worn daily and withstand children, workouts, lotions and cooking, consideration needs to be given to materials and design. Estes says, “Traditional Hawaiian bracelets, and most of our HIE Heirloom pieces, are designed with no clasps or hinges but rather a solid gold oval bracelet that slides tightly over your hand and onto the wearer’s wrist. There is virtually nothing that can break on the bracelet so, ideally, it should last hundreds of years. As it is passed down through the family it will patina beautifully and age with time throughout all of the generations. So often we inherit jewelry that needs to be fixed and/or updated before being worn again – hinges that are broken, chains that need to be replaced. These items end up living in a jewelry box or safe and are rarely able to be worn again without a proper retrofit. Our Hawaiian bracelets get better with time, and we prefer the look of the gold not cleaned or polished. We feel that every bit of patina, sand, gardening dirt or surf wax picked up over the years on our bracelets is all part of our story. Also, while this might be a rather obvious response, when buying an heirloom piece, it needs to be solid gold or platinum always. Any metals dipped or hollow will not last the test of time.”
What should someone shopping for heritage jewelry know about how to adjust size if they are passing something along or inheriting something that isn’t a perfect fit as-is?
While for some, a perfect fit is priority, for others including the Estes and Shaw the history of a heritage piece supersedes how it might fit at any given time. They like to let the jewelry choose its own destiny. Shaw says that, “For us, personally, we have a production team in Honolulu and several jewelers that we work with who can resize our heirloom bracelets properly if needed. This is not something we recommend as there is a magic to all of this. If it doesn’t fit the next child or grandchild perhaps just wait. There may be a family member down the line who a specific heirloom is perfect for. That is one of the main reasons we created our collection – families were growing at a rate much larger than new bracelets were created. For example, one grandmother would pass and there would be several grandchildren and only one bracelet to pass on. If we want this tradition to continue in Hawai‘i we need to be producing new heirlooms more often so they are able to be passed on.”
How should the wearer (and gift-giver) consider pieces already in a collection and how to style a new piece within that context?
Estes says that, “It all comes down to what your personal style is. We have customers who only prefer the traditional bracelet styles in our collection and we also have Hawaiian heirloom loyalists who are excited to layer their own personal heirloom pieces with our new modern styles that are encrusted with diamonds. As we launch our lei Pikake chain-necklace collection, we are seeing these pieces interest buyers who are new to Hawaiian heirloom jewelry. Some might not be ready to participate in the Hawaiian heirloom bracelet tradition, or maybe don’t feel yet connected enough to Hawai‘i to do so, but want to purchase a piece of the collection to commemorate their time in Hawai‘i or a monumental moment in their lives. Our HIE Heirloom creations are produced in solid gold to ensure that they can be worn all the time: in the ocean, shower, wherever, and will last for generations.”