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Continue ShoppingWe sell our products with Lahaina Arts Society on a regular basis.This allows West Side visitors or residents a chance to shop at our booth located outside the Cannery Mall in Lahaina from 10am to 3pm). We are on Summer Holiday for July 2026 but are open for in-person appointment at the Kihei Condo/Shop. In 2026 we are teaching with the American Kumihimo Society (Sept 23-26, 2026) https://amksoc.org/featured-home/gathering-2026-save-the-date/ . Our classes focus on confident beginners and emphasize the blending of Japanese tradition with island inspired Hawaiian necklace lei.
We reimagine traditional Hawaiian Lei to create "Aloha Inspired Forever Lei." Our designs merge an ancient Japanese braiding technique of kumihimo with the beauty of island colors and textures. We showcase our jewelry with the Lahaina Arts Society on Maui's West Side at the Cannery Mall .Check schedules on our website. All of our jewelry is handcrafted exclusively on Maui..
Gorgeous Blue Whale Pendent Glass Beaded Necklace - 35"
Transparent blue hues just like those in the Pacific Ocean create a beautiful pendent designs, a real show stopper necklace. The use of two blue toned coin/lentil beads breaks up the length so the eye can take it all in.
This unique Whale Pendent Design is a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry that is sure to catch the eye of anyone who sees it. The design is based on a Japanese Braiding Technique using 16 cords that are woven into a unique pattern. Each movement is a literal stitch (of glass beads), and the braiding pattern involved here is called Continuous Beaded Braid (CBB). We use the Kumihimo style of Oimatsu, which is a traditional Japanese braiding technique that involves using 16 cords to create a unique pattern. About 12,000 seed beads are loaded onto the cords that are then woven into this magnificent art necklace. This statement necklace is finished with a dark gray acrylic magnet end cap that has an extra strong hold.
Our necklaces feel wonderful to wear and require little to almost no care by using a clean dry towel every few months to keep dust free and bright. This beautiful hand-crafted style necklace was made using hundreds of glass beads from around the world that are meticulously loaded onto multiple cords that are woven then together on a Japanese marudai braiding stand.
Akalei Designs make great gifts for woman, girls, and men! Akalei is the Hawaiian word for "bead reflections" which captures this unique style only available on Maui. We specialize in designing a wide range of modern yet classic Hawaiian looking lei. For customized orders please contact me at info@akaleidesigns.com.
Kumihimo is an ancient Japanese braid making technique that creates beautiful and durable interlaced necklaces and bracelets. This art form goes back hundreds of years as braids were made for use in armor of Samurai warriors. In modern times these braids are used for belts (obijime) on kimonos
It is my goal to provide you with a long lasting, beautiful piece of jewelry that you will enjoy wearing for years to come. I take great care in the construction of my pieces to ensure just that. Please note: colors may slightly differ from their appearance on your display, as it depends on your monitor settings.
Thanks for stopping by!
Aloha Aku.
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