Aloha! My name is Chun Hui Chen-DeCosta and I am the designer of Komakai Jewelry. Thank you for visiting my online store!
I was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Hawaii when I was 4. I grew up in East Oahu and went the University of Manoa where I studied Japanese and Chinese languages. In my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Kobe, Japan where I fell in love with the Japanese culture and the modern, minimalist aesthetic - not to mention the amazing food! It is still one of my favorite places to visit.
After returning home, I completed my MBA at UH Manoa and started working for a luxury jewelry company. I was laid off during the 2008 Recession and embarked on an entrepreneurial journey that led me to designing jewelry.
How Komakai Jewelry began:
After 5 years of working in the bridal industry, I felt myself drawn to jewelry as a new design challenge. I wanted to create art that I could wear and share with my friends and family. After hosting a successful jewelry party, I decided to take a leap of faith and started designing and selling jewelry full time.
The name "Komakai" means "delicate" and "fine details" in Japanese. "Makai" means "Toward the sea" in Hawaiian. I strive to infuse these elements into each piece of jewelry I design and make by hand.
My mission is to design timeless, modern pearl and gemstone jewelry that you will cherish and feel beautiful wearing all day, every day.