It took 31,000 tiles to redo the two rainbows on the Rainbow Tower, at a cost of $11 million for the tiles alone and $45 million for the tower’s overall upgrade. The hotel is constantly renovating; in 2013, the Hilton says it spent $25 million just on upgrades to the Alii tower.
The journey of a seashell from the reef to a pendant on a gold chain is a fascinating tale made increasingly relevant as a burgeoning business takes shape. Three Hawai‘i artisans who make jewelry from shells talk about their craft as well as the ethics of shelling for commerce and for personal collections.
Inside the rise, fall and transformation of an oligarchy that wielded power from the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 to the 1950s.
