Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry was a favorite among Hawaii's Ali'i and it's more popular than ever here in the islands. Philip Rickard, a local jeweler, has taken the art a step further, recreating some historic jewelry for a movie being filmed in the islands. Ramsay Wharton is down at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center with a look at the jewels.

Philip Rickard Honolulu has been creating jewelry and in particular Hawaiian Jewelry for the past 35 years.  His Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry captured the eye of film director, Marc Forby.  He charged Rickard with creation and design of exclusive historically accurate pieces for the feature film, currently titled "After Heaven", based on the life of Hawaii's Princess Ka'iulani.

"Authenticity and quality are extremely important to this project. Everybody involved wants this film to be as historically accurate as possible. It was only appropriate that we approach a jeweler like Philip Rickard because of his skills and depth of knowledge," said Forby.

Rickard's love of Hawaii and his craft urged him to seek out historical knowledge on Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry.  He spent six years researching the history of the popular jewelry, traveling to Europe and around Hawaii, before publishing his book, Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry: A Lasting Remembrance. His book is available at Borders Book locations, Bishop Museum and at Philip Rickard Honolulu locations.

For the film, Rickard reproduced several pieces from the era during which the film takes place. The actors will be wearing replicas of Queen Lili'uokalani's original Hoomanau Mau bracelet, King David Kalakaua's ring, and a Victorian crest worn by Princess Ka'iulani. Rickard also designed a solid gold brooch displaying Princess Ka'iulani's emblem, working solely off a piece of stationary that's survived from her time.

While all the pieces created for the film are truly representative of Hawaiian Jewelry at the time, they don't differ drastically from the pieces showcased at any of Rickard's seven Hawaiian stores. Rickards says his pieces are aesthetically evolved, but they've remained true to their origins in the eighteen hundreds.

"Although modern technology allows for variations in the jewelry's designs, the roots are evident in each piece we create. When you wear one of our pieces, you're wearing something with direct lineage to the pieces worn by Queen Lili'uokalani and the rest of the royal family," said Rickard.

Kathryn Morrison, costume designer for the film, said she was ecstatic about using Phil's pieces with her costumes.

"As someone recently introduced to Hawaiian Jewelry, it's so intriguing that each piece is not only beautiful, but holds so much historical and symbolic relevance to the islands and its history."

Philip Rickard Honolulu has kept busy producing pieces of Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry to match their popularity in the islands. But one Mainland visitor who fell in love with his pieces years ago asked Rickard to reach beyond his normal designs. In 2005, Gwen Stefani approached Rickard to create specialized pieces for her L.A.M.B runway show. Happy with the collaboration, she asked him to co-create more designs for her Spring 2008 Runway show in New York. His pieces also appear in Stefani's 2004 "Luxurious" single.

Certain replicas of the pieces created for the film can be ordered at any of Philip Rickard's seven Oahu locations or online at www.philiprickardhonolulu.com.

About Philip Rickard:
Lester Ralph "Philip" Rickard has dedicated much of his life to the study of the historical transitions of jewelry and has been particularly influenced by the Renaissance period in Europe. After years of studying throughout Europe a compelling vision in 1971 brought Rickard to Hawaii where he opened his first retail location store in 1986 at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Philip Rickard Honolulu has grown to be the premiere manufacturer of world-class Hawaiian jewelry. This beautiful jewelry is made in many different gold colors and platinum, which features the deep, carved scrolling patterns, rich enameled names, and inlays. Many of these pieces hold diamonds and colored gemstones acquired daily by admirers in Hawai'i and around the world.

Today Philip Rickard Honolulu has seven retail stores in the Hawaiian Islands, web sites in English and Japanese, and a manufacturing and customer service location in Tokyo. Philip Rickard Honolulu jewelry can be purchased at any of his retail locations or online at www.philiprickardhonolulu.com.

---