Got one more thing for you that you can surprise your GF with.

The island just west of Kauai is called Ni'ihau. It is family owned. Won't go into the lengthy history of the Robinson family acquisition of that island from the King back in the 1800s but it is worth researching yourself. It is coined "The Forbidden Island" because no one except native Ni'ihau or the family is allowed to be there. The natives there all work for the family's cattle business.

Several hundred years ago, the island experienced climate change that made it less lush and more prairie like. Prior to that, the natives made beautiful flower leis common on all other islands. After the flowers stopped growing on Ni'ihau, they started making shell leis.

The tiny shells that wash up on their beaches are rare and only found there. Gathering these shells is labor intensive. It can take 4 months to get one baby food jar full of these shells and over half of those are lost in piercing. It often takes up to 2 years to complete a lei with multiple strands. The natives, in trying to supplement their income, make these leis and have brokers who sell them on the other islands, but mainly on Kauai since it is the closest island to them.

They are true works of art and the artisans who make them are becoming rare as the craft is dis-appearing because the younger generation on the island is most often moving from the island. The skill and technique is being lost a little more with each generation.

You can negotiate a price with a store owner. Strands and rarity of color are what prices are based on. I bought one for my wife that was 2 strands and had some rare colors for $640.00. I believe the price started at $800.00. They go from $300 for a single strand up to $10,000 for a ton of strands.

If you plan to buy one and surprise her that you took the effort to know all of the history and significance of the craft.....only buy in Hanapepe. There are many cheaper imitations all over the island. Go to Lu's Crafts or JJ Ohana's in Hanapepe. Both sell only authentic leis with paperwork with the information of what shells are in that specific lei and the family that crafted the lei. There are about 5 families that still make the leis and each family often has it's on signature style. Buy from either of those two places and you are good.

As the craft continues to dis-appear, the lei will become more valuable over the years.