1) Certificate of Authenticity.

Under Hawaii Act 91, all Ni'ihau leis need to be made with at least 80% shells from the island of Ni'ihau. You should receive a document with your lei indicating the percentage of shells in your lei which are from Ni'ihau. Ask your seller to provide you with this information, and note that the law is fairly recent and not all sellers may be aware of the provisions. High quality shops which are buying directly from Ni'ihau families should have no problem providing you a Certificate of Authenticity.

It's "Buyer Beware" on leis you pick up at auctions and garage or estate sales, as the seller may not have much information on the origin of the lei. If you can ask an expert in advance of your purchase, try to do so. Many people assume that if the shells are the "Ni'ihau" type of shell, even if collected on Kaua'i, O'ahu or Moloka'i, they have a Ni'ihau lei. These are not legitimate "Ni'ihau Leis", although they are beautiful pieces of jewlery in their own right.

2) Shell color

The easiest way to tell the difference between a Ni'ihau lei and one from another island is in the shell color. Because the Ni'ihau waters are pure and free of industrial runoff, the shells maintain a healthy shine and vibrant colors. The most noticable difference is in the Kahelelani colors. Momi shells should have a shine, and Ni'ihau puka shells are shiny and relatively flat (unlike the squared puka shells you find for general sale).

As you can see from the comparison of the two Kahelelani Poepoe leis, one is much more vibrant than the other. The bottom lei is made with shells from Kauai, while the top lei is made entirely from Ni'ihau Kahelelani shells.

3) Price

Yes, Ni'ihau leis are expensive. This is due to the scarcity of the shells, the difficulty collecting, cleaning, and preparing them, and the time required to match color and create a lei. Ni'ihau leis are considered Fine Jewelry, and can be appraised and insured as such. Leis with rare colors will be much more expensive - these include leis with a high quantity of Blue (Uliuli) or Butterscotch (Kahakaha) Momi, and Yellow (Kamoa) or Hot pink (Waipapipi) Kahelelani.

If the price of a lei seems a real bargain, be sure to ask about a Certificate of Authenticity. While you can find authentic Ni'ihau leis at auction at a lower price, be sure to ask about, or examine the lei's condition, as restringing to replace broken shells may cost you as much as buying a new one.

4) Appraisal or Expert Inspection

Although difficult to get, an apprasial is perhaps the best way to get a definitive answer one whether you have a Ni'ihau lei. If you need help finding an appraiser, just email us and we'll try to help you find someone who can inspect your lei.

Another option is to contact us in advance of a craft fair to arrange to bring your lei in for a quick look.

A s a result of the legislation, the Ni'ihau community is considering ways to "brand" their leis in a manner which would establish an easy to recognize "trademark", common to all leis made by the indigenous people of the island. This is not yet in place, but hopefully in the near future there will be a easy way to identify a lei as having come from Ni'ihau.

5) Ask questions

Never be afraid to as a seller questions. Which island are the shells from ? Do they know who made the lei, and when it was made ? Are they willing to certifiy the lei as authentic ? Have they already had the lei appraised ? Will they provide you with an appraisers name ? If the price seems to be a real bargain, why ?

A good seller will know about the shell colors, the lei styles, and will be aware of the legal labeling requirements.

6) Research, research, research

If you have the luxury of time, do your homework before you buy your lei. There are some good books on Ni'ihau leis out there. Review websites which have pictures of Ni'ihau leis. Check out Ni'ihau leis at craft fairs, so you have an opportunity to see the "real thing". Check out the leis at high end shops and / or art galleries. Know what you want, both in terms of shell type, colors, length, and number of strands.