This beautiful necklace is made of thirty-two black Kukui nuts strung on a black ribbon with a knot between each one. The nuts are each painted with a bright blue turtle on either side of the nut. On one side of the nut, "Hawaii" is painted in white above the turtle.
L: 40 inches (101.6 cm)
W: 1 inch (2.6 cm)
hawaii-aloha.com tells us: "Ancient Hawaiians used the nuts of the tree for spiritual, medicinal and navigational purposes; however, the most common usage was for light. When strung in a row on a palm-leaf midrib and lit, the nuts looked very much like a candle. In fact, this is how the tree got its Hawaiian name, which means “light” or “lamp.”
"Today, kukui nut lei has become a symbol of a Hawaiian vacation...Tourists and tour guides often wear them, as they’re easily acquired and quite affordable.
"This was not the case in ancient times, however, because only royalty were allowed to wear these lei made of sleek black nuts. It was a way to show the alii‘s social status, as well as honor Lono, god of agriculture, peace and fertility. In fact, Hawaiians consider kukui to be the kino lau, or physical manifestation, of Lono, and it’s because of this that kukui trees would be most abundant during times of harvest."
hawaii-aloha.com/blog/2013/01/28/kukui-nut-lei-more-than-a-hawaiian-souvenir/
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JANE DAISY GENERAL
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~All Jane Daisy General jewelry is pre-loved and pre-owned, vintage or antique, and will display normal, gentle wear indicative of its pre-loved status.
~ All Jane Daisy General jewelry is sent in fun, free gift packaging.
~All items are gently cleaned using a soft toothbrush with anti-bacterial soap and water, unless water would damage. In that case, the item is wiped with an anti-bacterial wipe. As some people prefer patina, only light cleaning and polishing is done rather than vigorous cleaning. Depending on your preference, you may need to polish a little.
~*NB: Any damage beyond gentle wear will be included in the description or photographs.
~Jane Daisy General was created for the love of jewelry and is thrilled to share these treasures in a wide price-range, setting prices so everyone can find something to match an outfit, treat themselves, find a unique gift … or just because!