Fifth Anniversary: Wood

November 2018
'Iliahi, sterling silver

My wife rarely asks for jewelry, and is even more rarely specific about what it should be. Every year I make her an anniversary present using the traditional material for the year, and the fifth anniversary is wood. Since I had just made an 'iliahi ring the month before our anniversary, this time she knew exactly what she wanted... just much, much bigger.

'Iliahi, or Hawaiian sandalwood (Santalum paniculatum) is extremely rare and highly prized, and of course famous for its sweet scent. So a single-piece bangle bracelet made of it is fairly extravagant (as good jewelry should be). Because my wife doesn't wear a lot of gold, I clad the inside of the bracelet with silver to protect the wood from her skin and to strengthen the bracelet.