Maui Divers Jewelry Design Center

Disclosure: Complimentary product was received for review purposes. 

Maui Divers Jewelry is the largest jewelry manufacturer in Hawaii. Their pieces are all inspired, designed, and created right here on Oahu just minutes away from Waikiki at their Jewelry Design Center.  

Although I have lived here my entire life, I have never been to their Design Center, so I happily accepted Maui Divers' invitation to go on a tour of their facility.

The Design Center tour (which by the way, is FREE to anyone and everyone!) started with an overview of the history of how Maui Divers Jewelry came to be.  I had no idea that Maui Divers Jewelry started out as a diving company in Maui in 1958, hence the name!

According to my tour guide, on one of Maui Divers' deep water expeditions, they discovered Hawaiian black coral, one of the ocean's finest treasures and now considered to be the most lustrous coral in the world. Not long thereafter, Maui Divers Jewelry was founded in 1959, and the company began to design, manufacture, and sell Hawaiian black coral jewelry.

The tour included a short film in a dark air conditioned mini-theater. 

After the film, I was escorted through the design facility where I got to see how these fine pieces of jewelry are made - all my hand!

It was interesting to hear and see the jewelry-making process from start to finish. It was amazing to learn that every piece of jewelry that Maui Divers Jewelry sells in their stores are all manufactured by hand in this facility.  And they believe in their products so much that every piece of jewelry comes with a lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship and materials. 

After touring the design facility, we entered the showroom which has all of their collections on display and available for purchase. In addition to pieces made with Hawaiian black coral (which was designated as the Hawaii State Gem in 1987), Maui Divers Jewelry features rare Hawaiian gold coral and exotic deep-water pink and red corals. The company also showcases unique, handcrafted collections that feature cultured Tahitian black pearls, South Sea pearls, Japanese Akoya pearls, freshwater pearls, Australian opals, diamonds, peridot and other beautiful gemstones.

Yin Yang Collection

Honu Collection

Nalu Collection

After browsing through their collections of exquisite jewelry, we went to the second floor where their "Pick a Pearl" store is located. Here you get to select an oyster, and create your own custom pearl jewelry with the pearl that is revealed from the oyster you select. Choose from a wide selection of mounts (pendants, rings, or earrings) made in-house.

Whether you're a local or visitor, I encourage you all to come to the Design Center to take the tour, which is FREE and open to the public! You are under no obligation to purchase anything from the showroom at the end of the tour, but trust me, after perusing the showroom, it'll be hard to walk away empty handed. 

To book a tour, click here. 

About Maui Divers Jewelry

Maui Divers Jewelry is the largest jewelry manufacturer in Hawaii. Since 1959, their jewelry has been inspired, designed and created in Hawaii with such care that it is Guaranteed Forever. This entire process can be experienced at the company’s world-famous Jewelry Design Center in Honolulu, free tours are offered 365 days a year with free shuttle service from anywhere in Waikiki. Maui Divers Jewelry is renowned for its unique, high-quality designs featuring pearls, precious corals, Hawaiian gold, diamonds and other beautiful gemstones. Maui Divers Jewelry is available at over 30 locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands, including 8 in the Waikiki district.

MAUI DIVERS JEWELRY DESIGN CENTER
1520 LIONA STREET
(800) 253-6016

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Waimea Valley

Beautiful Waimea Falls

If you are looking for some family friendly adventure that is both fun and safe, look no further than a day at Waimea Valley!  Located in Hale'iwa, Waimea Valley's mission is to preserve and perpetuate the human, cultural and natural resources of Waimea for generations through education and stewardship.  Waimea Valley has been home to a long line of Hawaiian Chiefs and High Priests and is also a popular destination for visitors wishing to explore their world class botanical gardens and hike to the majestic Waimea Falls.

My kids and I arrived on a Sunday morning a little after opening so the first parking lot was already full, but there was still plenty of space in the second parking lot.  When we called in the morning for waterfall swimming status, the recording stated the waterfall was flowing and there would be regular swim.  The natural rain fed 45 foot waterfall cascades into the 30 foot deep pond and swimming at the waterfall is allowed, but the status of swimming changes throughout the day depending on the weather.  Unfortunately, when we got to the admissions counter, swimming had just been cancelled due to the low flow of the waterfall.  

The kids are excited to spend the day at Waimea Valley!

We didn't let this bother us since we were excited to see the botanical gardens and historical sites along the main pathway.  Although it is a paved path and mostly stroller and wheelchair friendly, there are shuttle rides available from Hale Ho'ike to the Wailele waterfall turn around area available for purchase at the ticket booth.  The hike to the waterfall is about .75 miles.  Make sure you bring water, sunblock, and bug spray because there is little shade and both my son and I got a couple of mosquito bites. 



The kids enjoyed exploring the gardens of many rare and endangered plants.  Waimea's World Class Botanical Garden features 41 well defined zones, representing 5,000 different types of plants from all around the world!

One of their favorites of the day was visiting the Kauhale - ancient Hawaiian living site. 




That tiny dot is Cade!

Enjoying the view of the waterfall with an ice cream sandwich followed by an afternoon bite to eat - complete with a visit from a peacock!

When we reached the waterfall, we took a break to enjoy the view.  The kids had a great time skipping small stones.  If there had been swimming that day, guests would be required to wear a provided life vest.  There are changing rooms nearby and also a snack bar (cash only) that offers drinks, snacks, shave ice, and ice cream sandwiches.

On the way back, we took the stairs down to a short path along the Kamananui Stream.  The kids really enjoyed exploring this shady area.  We ended our visit with a quick bite to eat and a visit from a peacock!

Waimea Valley is open daily 7 days a week.  They offer venues for special events and weddings.  They are also home to a farmer's market every Thursday and hold special events like moon walks and special occasion dinners and brunches.
 
For families, they host Lā ‘Ohana days on every 3rd Sunday of the month and offer 50% off general admission for kama'aina (Hawaii residents) and military families!  On Keiki Wednesdays, it is Free admission for kama'aina and military children ages 4-12.  They even have $10 wagon rentals for ease of navigating your family throughout the valley.    

Thank you to Waimea Valley for hosting our visit! 

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The Cook Islands Showcase at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Complimentary general admission passes were provided by our sponsor

The Cook Islands showcase run at the Polynesian Cultural Center is wrapping up its 6 week exhibition on Oahu's north shore, but there are still a few days left to see it, and believe me, you don't want to miss out on this special opportunity to get a taste of the Cook Islands.

Last Friday the four of us visited the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). It was the first visit for our twin sons.

So much has changed since my husband and I last visited PCC. We managed to find the ticket office, which is now located in the new Hukilau Marketplace.  But where is the front entrance?  Just follow the painted yellow flowers!

We wanted to catch the first performance at the Cook Islands exhibit, so we had to make a bee-line from the entrance all the way to the opposite end of the center t catch the 1pm performance.  The center itself covers 42 acres, so that gives you an idea of how far we had to speed-walk!

We arrived just as they were starting the show. Thankfully there was covered seating.

The performance was spectacular, from the drumming, to the dancing by both the female and male performers.  It's definitely entertaining for people of all ages.

They even taught us a couple of their dance moves!

After the 30 minute performance was over, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Cook Islands through their handouts and cultural demonstrations. 

The Cook Islands is comprised of 15 islands in the South Pacific.  Rarotonga (pictured below) is the most populated of all islands, and where the international airport is located. There is one non-stop flight between Los Angles and Rarotonga once a week.  It's a 10 hour flight.  Otherwise, you have to fly into New Zealand and then catch another flight from New Zealand to Rarotonga.

The art displays hands-on demonstrations are always fun to watch. My boys were too shy to participate...

After spending time at the Cook Islands exhibit, we were hoping to take a canoe ride, but when this canoe arrived at the landing, we were told the canoes were going to get prepped for the canoe pageant at 2:30.  

It turned out to be a blessing because we ended up taking a leisurely walk through some of the other villages at PCC (there are 6 villages in total).

At about 2:15 pm, we took a seat in the stands and waited for the start of the canoe pageant. We bought some ice cream to cool off while we were waiting.

Promptly at 2:30, the canoe pageant started.  The canoes came through one by one.  Each island had its own canoe and performed a dance representative of their culture.

There were a lot of activities that we missed out on (like the canoe tours, Hawaiian Journey Movie Experience, Laie Tram Tour, and the other cultural demonstrations and activities in the villages). We will have to save those experiences for our next visit!

The Cook Island showcase is open from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm through August 24, 2017.  Here is the daily schedule:

1:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

1:30 p.m.    Activities

1:55 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:05 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:30 p.m.    Activities

4:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

General Admission:

Adults: $59.95

Children (4 -11): $47.96

Kamaaina pricing available

Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center website for more information.

I would like to extend a big mahalo to our sponsor for providing us with complimentary admission tickets to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Polynesian Cultural Center

55-370 Kamehameha Highway

1-800-367-7060

Monday - Saturday: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Sunday: Closed

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