Kahelelani shells/ Niihau カヘレラニ - ニイハウ

Kahelelani or “the royal gathering” in Hawaiian

Members of the Turbinidae family, the species is named leptothyra verruca. The Kahelelani shells are the smallest shells used in Niihau shell jewelry. They are therefore the most difficult to collect, pierce, and string.  The rarest color of Kahelelani shell is black! Bright red is also highly coveted. The smallest size of Kahelelani shells, when  using a diamond sieve to size them, are like 8-9mm and that is tiny!  The largest size of Kahelelani shells are still very small. Comparable to the head of a pin. 

Variations:

• Kahelelani ‘Ula’ula, “burgundy red”
• Kahelelani ‘Ākala pua, “flower pink”
• Kahelelani ‘ākala wai pāpipi, “hot pink”
• Kahelelani ‘Ākala ikaika, “strong (hot) pink Kahelelani”
• Kahelelani ‘Ōma’oma’o, “green Kahelelani”, light brown shells with a tint of green
• Kahelelani Māku’e, “darker tone of burgundy Kahelelani”
• Kahelelani ‘Ele’ele, “black Kahelelani”, dark brown / almost black in color
• Kahelelani Ke’oke’o, “white Kahelelani”, pale ivory shells with a circular band of light pink ridges.
• Kahelelani kamoa lenalena “yellow and some shells have a green hue and still others an orange hue"