About Koloa Jewellery
Koloa Jewellery is the reimaging of traditional Pacific craft works into jewellery. We believe making them wearable makes them more accessible to a broader audience. It also showcases the skill, artistry and creativity required to make these beautiful pieces of art. We hope that this way of acknowledging the skill of the women who create these pieces of art helps Pacific people see the skill of their elders.
Tapa, Ngatu & Fala
We use three types of material to make our Koloa Jewellery: tapa, ngatu and lalanga / woven material.
Tapa is the Tongan word for unpainted or unprinted barkcloth. It is white in colour.
Ngatu is the Tongan word for tapa that has been painted or decorated with patterns. It can be a variety of colours, ranging from orange, brown, black but all natural shades due to the plant based dyes that are used.
Lalanga means woven, and refers collectively to fala, the Tongan word for the woven pieces that are used as mats, or taovala (mats worn around the waist).
