ʻA'ā Honu: Lava Beads Mala

Black lava beads with turtle pendant and white tassel. Many of my malas use smooth black lava beads. Some are accented with rough cut red (brown) lava beads.

In Hawaii there are two types of lava named for the type of flow:

ʻA'ā pronounced "ah-ah” lava is the Hawaiian word for the type of lava that has a rough, broken surface made of jagged and spiny lava fragments called clinkers. Conversely, pāhoehoe lava has a smooth, billowy, ropy, shiny surface.