Aloha! My name is Chun Hui Chen-DeCosta and I am the one woman show behind Komakai Jewelry. Thank you for visiting my online store!
A little bit about me: 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 they are famous for. After returning home, I completed my MBA at UH Manoa and started working for a luxury jewelry company. I was laid off during the Great Recession and realized I never wanted to work for anyone but myself again.
How Komakai Jewelry began:
I got engaged not long after being laid off. Immediately an obsession with all things wedding took over. I wanted to make something special for my wedding day and designed my first bridal accessory. This launched my first business designing wedding belts and hair accessories. After 5 years of working in the bridal industry, I felt myself drawn to jewelry as a new design challenge. Komakai Jewelry was officially launched after a jewelry party I threw encouraged me to pursue jewelry design full time.
The name "Komakai" means "dainty" or "delicate", "fine details" in Japanese. "Makai" means "Toward the sea" in Hawaiian. It perfectly describes the jewelry I enjoy wearing and designing from my home studio in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii surrounded by the sea.
I use 14k gold fill as a base for each piece to ensure the highest quality you can find next to solid gold for the best value. Some of the gemstones I use the most are rainbow moonstone, labradorite, and aqua chalcedony. In summer 2020, I added beautiful Tahitian and Edison Pearls to my offerings.
My mission is to design irresistibly delicate jewelry that you will cherish and feel beautiful wearing all day, every day.