Overview
An 'ei is a necklace made from yellow shells called pupu. The 'ei pupu' (shell leis) are made up from small yellow or reddish-brown snail shells found under rocks or leaves, especially after rain. They are boiled to clean them or just soaked for several days to clean them out. Sometimes the shells are boiled in caustic soda or soaked in bleach to turn them white.
Putting these necklaces together is a time consuming process - gathering, processing, piercing and stringing which ensures that they are a valuable gift.