Maile lei by Hawaiian Heirloom Lei - Handcrafted from brass and silver

The Maile Lei Series by Hawaiian Heirloom Lei

Maile [my lee] is a fragrant, endemic shrub vine from the Hawaiian Islands. It has a long history as one of Hawaii’s favorite lei, referred to as The Royal Lei and a symbol of courtship and love. Maile is believed to protect the wearer, bestow good luck and even possess healing powers associated with Laka, the Hawaiian Goddess of Hula. Maile lei were traditionally given as a token of Love and Aloha or as an offering of Peace. In modern day Hawaii, maile lei are used in Hula, as gifts of Honor, Respect, Friendship, Peace, Graduations, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Awards or Presentations.

The Maile Lei Series is offered in several different styles, metals and finishes each hand-crafted piece by piece, one leaf at a time just like Nature. Hawaiian Heirloom Lei offers our Maile Lei Series in either Brass, Silver Plated Brass, Copper, Pure 99.9% Fine Silver, 24K Gold plated brass or 18K Rose Gold plated brass. They are offered polished, unpolished, and with either an antique or marbled finish. The different metals and finishes provide a wide selection for fashion and affordability for our customers.

Our Maile Lei Series was inspired by my retired Paniolo husband Craig. For many years, i heard his stories about riding his mules on the slopes of Haleakala and camping in Haleakala Crater, roping wild goats and hunting pigs, picking Akala berries for pies, Ohelo berries for jams. His favorite place in the world is just above a small maile patch in Kaupo Gap. I decided to connect my knowledge of lei, indigenous Silversmiths, Craig’s love of Hawaiian Culture and his Paniolo lifestyle, so i began Hawaiian Heirloom Lei.

My husband Craig created our maile leaves from his memories of decades of riding his mules Upcountry Maui to his favorite maile patch near the top of Kaupo Gap. Our leaves are fashioned from both the smaller leaf maile variety of Maui called ‘Maile Lau Li’i’ and the larger leaf variety from the Big Island of Hawaii called ‘Maile Lau Nui’. Our maile lei are a modern-day option to using fresh maile lei while the vast majority of the fresh maile lei used today is imported from the Cook Islands and a variety not native to Hawaii. We very strongly encourage the continuing Hawaiian Tradition of fresh lei making and merely offer a new alternative by providing a non-perishable lei also done by the Ancient Hawaiians.

Hawaiian Heirloom Lei and all our craftsmen and artists put their heart and soul into making our maile products, one leaf at a time. We hope that you enjoy our Maile time after time and share the Aloha that we put into every leaf…….. the lei that lasts forever.