A Note From Maui Hands Owner Panna Cappelli

“Passionate about shells and fascinated with the concept of a closed society on a remote island, over 20 years ago I began collecting the works of the families of Ni‘ihau. The perfection of work, the intricacies of design, and the rarity of the shells just drew me in, and meeting the lei makers and their families created in me a great interest in supporting their community.

“It is getting more and more difficult to procure new pieces given that currently there are fewer than 50 people living on the island full-time, many of them elderly. When I began collecting there were over 250 residents, and, in the old days, thousands of native Hawaiians lived on the island. With the modernization of our society, most Ni‘ihau descendants now live on other Hawaiian islands but visit a few times a year to be with family as well as pick shells for their creations.

“This section primarily features the Ni‘ihau lei that have come and gone through my collection, but also includes a few Kaua‘i shell lei.”