RATNA’S STORY – Jewelry as Art since 1975

E Komo Mai (Welcome)

The gemstone artistry of Ratna reflects the Magic of Hawaii.  Glimmering quality gemstones, beautiful workmanship and unique styles abound—your choices are destined to become lifetime treasures.  Each piece is created with love as a form of art to inspire the mind, calm the emotions and heal the body—in the old-world tradition of fine craftsmanship.

Ratna, a GIA Certified Gemologist (Gemological Institute of America), has been trained as a diamond/colored stone appraiser.  Her knowledge allows her to select beautiful, natural gemstones from around the world and then combine them with her collection of ethnic beads and pendants. Each piece is infused with Reiki Energy (she is a Reiki Master) as well as inherent nourishing, healing qualities of the gemstones themselves.

Long before she moved to the Big Island, Ratna was given that name by her spiritual teacher Rama while on a trip with him to the Big Island in 1992.  It means Jewel in Sanscrit (and she wasn’t making jewelry at that time!) And Ratna is also one of the five Buddha families in Tibetan Buddhism.

Her passion for color and form began in the late 70s, when she opened a tiny jewelry shop in Monterey, California and began supplying Vegas casinos with her unique pieces.  She was a jeweler for fifteen years before making a sea change and becoming a computer consultant and director of an international computer company until her retirement in 2002. She then began traveling, living in India and Australia for several years…before she discovered Hawaii.  Ratna had found “home” and fell in love with the people and the energy of the Aina (land); she has lived on the Big Island since 2008.

In her eighties, Ratna continues to pursue her passion for gemstones and creative designs in her studio in Hilo on the Big Island.  Each day brings the tropical trade winds, the soft rains, the songs of birds and as evening falls the coqui frogs begin their evening serenade.  All is at peace here.

When she is not busy creating her jewelry, she fills her time raising (and releasing) Monarch butterflies, flower and vegetable gardening and meditating.

Ratna can be reached at (800) 965-0999 between one and five pm (Hawaii time) or Ratna@HawaiianHandmadeJewelry.com

Big Mahalo to Kimberly Hagen, a wonderful local artist, who took the sunset picture on the homepage!

And thanks also to Alan Fine for use of the portrait of Queen Lili’uokalani!