The warm Pacific Ocean surrounding the islands of Hawaii teems with hundreds of species of shelled creatures. Beachcombers can easily collect the variety of shells that wash ashore, as native Hawaiians have done for centuries, crafting them into jewelry, leis and tools. Some shells are common and plentiful, while tiny, rare shells collected from the island of Ni'ihau are so valuable they are the only shells in the world insurable as gem jewelry.
Cowry shells belong to the arthropod of the same name, which hides in coral and feeds on algae at night. Its glossy surface comes from the mantle the creature excretes over its shell throughout its lifetime. Cowries usually have a mottled or spotted appearance and range in color from white to peach to dark brown.
Pinkish-beige Triton shells range from under one inch to well over 15 inches in length. They are wide on one end and pointed on the other, like a twisted horn. Larger species have been used as trumpets in Hawaii since ancient times.
Cone shells come from cone-shaped sea snails and their varied patterns and sizes make them popular with shell collectors. Most cones are white with clearly defined spots and lines in various earth-toned colors.
The Hawaiian limpet, or Opihi is considered a delicacy. Hawaiian natives pluck these small gastropods off rocks along the shore and eat them raw. The Opihi's shell is flattened and cap-like, with concentric growth ridges. Limpet shells are mottled or layered combinations of brown, white and cream and often glossy in appearance.
Once only worn by Hawaiian royalty, sunrise shells are small, rare and valuable. These brightly colored scallops are native to Hawaii and can be as small as a dime, or as large as a quarter. Legend says that these rainbow-hued shells are easiest to find at sunrise, and that only lucky people find them. Considering their rarity, and that a single sunrise shell can sell for hundreds of dollars, their finders feel lucky indeed.
Families on the small, sparsely populated Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau earn a living gathering and creating jewelry from three tiny species of shells: kahelelani, momi and laiki. These shells range in size from 3 to 12 mm and come in a wide range of white, yellow, blue, red and gold hues. The most valuable shells are the smallest golden ones.
Ni'ihau shells are gathered in the wintertime, and artisans craft them into necklaces and leis, taking a year or more to complete one strand due to the intricate knotting process and the delicacy of the tiny shells.
