Leis are inspired by Hawaiian culture. In the beginning they were made with flowers. On the Forbbiden Island of Nihau the sun shines brightly every day; however the flowers for leis do not grow. The people picked colorful shells from the beach to make jewelry and they became beautiful, scarce, and valuable.
Young girls from Waimea walk the beaches and collect the shells for her wedding day. Lani was not an early riser and by the time she got to the beach they were picked over; her jar only had shells two fingers high.
She loved her cup of Kauai Coffee in the morning, and as she sat eating her breakfast poi, looking at the steam, she had an idea. Why not make my wedding lei from gemstones? And so, Gemstone Lei was born.
