Belauan/Chamoru sisters fuse art and heritage in stunning jewelry line
Micronesian Monday Feature: Elilai Jewels
Sisters Shannen and Dennilynn launched Elilai Jewels in March 2020 but inspiration for their creations struck long before that.
Most islanders are quick to recognize the traditional Belauan money necklace that sits regally between the collar bones of many Belauan women. Shannen said she was inspired in part by the traditional necklace her mother wore.
“I also had an interest in clay jewelry. I always admired the creativity behind that art medium. My mom’s necklace kind of reminded me of that,” said 26-year-old Shannen.
“The idea of both inspired me to create clay jewelry influenced by Palauan culture and island life. I shared the idea with Dennilynn in 2019 and with our love for jewelry and desire to learn more about our culture, we created Elilai Jewels together.”
Dennilynn, 18, had expertly crafted mwarmwars and leis and drew on those skills in her jewelry creations.
“I have always had a love for jewelry and was interested in making them myself,” Dennilynn said. “The love for weaving ended up leading me to weaving with pandanus leaves to create jewelry.”
Dennilynn described herself as Belauan, born and raised on Guam. She’s currently living in Texas but expects to move back to Guam soon. Shannen described herself as a Belauan and Chamoru, born and raised on Guam and living on Guam.
The sisters started selling in March last year and took an intentional approach.
“We wanted to take our time learning how to work with our mediums. There was a lot of trial and error with many mistakes and imperfections, but, most importantly, learned lessons throughout our journey. We pour our hearts into our crafts and we love sharing it with others. We really believe in creating quality pieces with love,” they said.
Their best-selling items are their pandanus pieces. And their clay pieces, with intricate and detailed designs, do well with customers, the sisters said.
Notably, Elilai Jewels also promotes itself as an eco-friendly and plastic-free brand.
Now, over one year after they started selling, the sisters said the most exciting part of the journey is seeing people wear their creations.
“It also encourages us to continue to do what we do when we receive feedback from our customers,” they said.
Scrolling through Elilai Jewels’ products either on Instagram or on their store’s website is akin to moving through a curated museum. They have such a strong editorial eye for modern colors, shapes, and textures that are on-trend. Yet, each piece from Elilai Jewels feels intuitively Pasifika.
I asked the sisters what Micronesian creator or business do they think more people should know about1 and here’s who they recommended:
Buhlywear, a clothing business run out of Majuro, Marshall Islands
Lolehandmadeguam, a Guam-based, zero-waste, sustainable, natural soap and bodycare company
Looking ahead, Shannen and Dennilynn said they hope to grow their brand beyond jewelry while maintaining a commitment to promoting sustainability, learning about using natural resources, and educating their audience.
A happy customer
I didn’t tell Shannen and Dennilynn that I am a happy customer of theirs. I bought two pairs of their earrings last summer and was more than pleased with the quick delivery and the quality of the earrings.
The shade and tone of the pink earrings in particular pairs beautifully with most of my wardrobe—a happy coincidence.
I want to thank Shannen and Dennilynn for being so gracious and agreeing to answer my questions. They were unbelievably kind, a testament to their customer service and their spirit as people.
So if you want to support good-hearted, creative Micronesian women please follow them on Instagram: @elillai.jewels and buy from their store at https://elilaijewels.com/
Mother’s Day is coming up and, this might be weird but your mom told me she specifically wanted the newest pieces from Elilai Jewels.
This was so fun to write. I’ve contacted other Micronesian creators to feature and will be writing about them too. The next feature next Monday will also be another female business owner.2 You can subscribe so you don’t miss it.
It’s Monday (on this side of the Pacific). Mondays can kind of be dreadful but they usually end.
Some of you might be returning to work in the office or scrubbing the mugu’ from your eyes before logging in to work from your kitchen table.3 We can all be grateful at least, no matter where we’re working from, that our boss didn’t enter the room at the moment we mentioned Cardi B’s unmentionables, like this woman.
If you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please share it with them.
Thank you for reading. Write to you again soon.
Cheers,
Jasmine
I also asked who I should consider writing about next. I love the idea of a relay race-type situation, with creators and business owners “passing the baton” and tagging other Micronesian creators and businesses. It’s like we are our own Instagram algorithm, suggesting who to follow next.
I’m so excited. I love seeing Micronesians thrive in public.
This is not shade. I’m right there with you. We are the kitchen table tribe. I’m typing this from our kitchen table that my husband and I have since converted into our desk. I would take a picture but I’m ashamed of what my mother would say.
Thank you for sharing! I never would have heard of Elilai Jewels otherwise.