Palaoa Sperm Whale Earrings

Wear the deep wild ocean with hand-carved sperm whales. The largest toothed whale in the ocean , sperm whales held a significant place in ancient Hawaii. While there are no records of hunting palaoa, niho palaoa (sperm whale teeth) and bones from carcasses that washed ashore were sacred, symbolizing a chief's rank and authority. As such, only ali’i (royalty) were allowed to wear them. (click on details tab for more information)

• Palaoa measures about 32 mm long
• All sterling silver (18K gold vermeil or gold on request)
• Sterling silver ear wires
• Hand-carved and cast
• Lead and nickel free
• Made in Hawaii
  
• Leather cords come with adjustable clasp (sterling). Please tell us if you'd like a longer leather cord.
• You may also like our Humpback earrings 
• More information on vermeil can be found in the blog

About Palaoa - Sperm Whales

Palaoa - Sperm Whale Palaoa are the largest toothed whale in the ocean. They are found around the world and are present in Hawaii year round - but are seen only rarely.  Historically they were hunted to the brink of extinction for valuable oil in their heads, and while this is no longer a threat, populations are still trying to recover. Their large, block-shaped heads are about one-third of their length, and are the only living cetacean with asymmetrical blowholes. Like other Odontocetes (toothed whales) sperm whales use clicks for echolocation. Fun fact - whales use a click pattern to communicate with other whales in the region when they are about to dive, and this pattern changes by region.

In ancient Hawaii, there is no record of hunting Palaoa, but niho palaoa (sperm whale teeth) and bones from carcasses that washed ashore were sacred, symbolizing a chief's rank and authority.  As such, only ali’i (royalty) were allowed to wear them.

Sperm Whales are listed as Endangered globally.

US Shipping: The good news – shipping for all US orders over $100 is free!  Otherwise our standard shipping rates are $9.99 anywhere in the US (8.99 in Hawaii).  If you are fortunate enough to live in Hawaii, we are happy to arrange a pick up.

International shipments: Please be patient while your purchase makes its way to you, we are a long way from most places. In fact, Hawaii is the most remote place from any other land mass in the world! Know that we will diligently get your order out as soon as we can, but that even with the best of timing, it may still take a few weeks to arrive. If you would like it sent somewhere not in our shipping list, please contact us or email at hello@alohikai.com and we’ll look into it for you.

Timing: ‘Alohi Kai jewelry is shipped from Hawaii, and some jewelry will be made to order which takes a bit of time. If we have it in stock, we’ll ship it out immediately. For silver pieces made to order, allow 1-3 days to ship; vermeil can take up to an additional 2-3 weeks to finish.  If you have a deadline earlier than this, send us a note to be sure – we may have one we can ship immediately. We generally use priority mail (5-7 days for shipping), but please allow 2-3 weeks delivery.

Our shipping is generally done via USPS First Class mail, however if you need something faster, and we have it in stock, we can send it priority mail (3-5 days from ship date), please email us at hello@alohikai.com to arrange it.