The start of the 2026 season brought about many new connections, including a long dreamed evolution.
Introducing KĀHIKO and the ongoing collaboration between the two labs.
For years, I had yearned for a method in which to capture my Snake Vertebrae Hoops as a metal variation. I met with multiple maker spaces and producers, connected with various casters, attended multiple meetings... to not be able to find the answers I was searching for. I absolutely didn`t want 3D printed plastic or polymer bases, didn`t desire to loose the individuality of each specimen, and certainly did not want to use cheap base metals or end up with earrings that result in extreme weights. Never did I want to loose the nature of the materials, or the stories of the hands that worked with them. I tabled the idea while I pursued my own expansion of skills, namely when I started learning to metalsmith.
The timing wasn`t right...but then suddenly, it was.
KĀHIKO and I connected through the vast expanses of the internet early 2026, both mutually appreciative of the other`s work. It was only natural that we combined our craft, and in hardly any time at all, nurtured a beautiful friendship together.
KĀHIKO carries many parallels with the Lost Adornments ethos and passions, not to mention, shares the same attention to detail and emphasis on aesthetics.
From the sourcing, the alchemy and the intention behind each of their works, KĀHIKO is an artist I truly am honored to know. Working with plants collected from the islands of Hawaii, sustainably sourced, they utilize nature and science, capturing specimens in an otherworldly manner.
THE PROCESS
Specialized and fine-tuned, KĀHIKO operates by electroplating. This is a process that uses a mild electric current to coat a surface with a thin layer of metal. At KĀHIKO, they carefully preserve real plants and use copper electroplating to form a delicate, lasting metallic shell over the natural structures. This process transforms the unique textures of each plant: leaves, needles, stalks; while still keeping true to the details and unique essence of each individual specimen.
Sustainable Harvesting
Their process begins with deep respect for the living world, practicing a combination of wild harvesting and collaborations with local farmers. Before any harvest, they ask the plants for permission, to honor their spirit and role within the ecosystem. All plant material they work with is highly abundant and often considered agricultural or natural waste, elements that would otherwise be discarded. By working only with what is regenerative and plentiful, they ensure the practice remains intentional, respectful, and rooted in reciprocity with nature. A way in working more with the earth, rather that fighting against it. A dance together.
Structural Weaving
They carefully weave fine copper wire into the plants by hand, following their natural growth patterns to support and preserve their organic structure. This process gently shapes each piece while reinforcing its form, allowing the plant to remain stable and expressive throughout plating.
SEALING + CRYSTAL EMBEDDING
First sealing each piece within a natural shellac, a resin harvested from the secretions of the lac bug, they preserve and protect the delicate structure in preparation for plating. Once sealed, the piece is them coated in their hand-ground custom paint, carefully blended with over 98 micropulverized crystals—including Oʻahu Clear Quartz, Alchemical Gold, Maui Sand, Mono-atomic Ocean Water, Fulvic Minerals, Mono-Atomic Copper, 96 World Crystals, Zero State Gold, and Plant Crystals—infusing each piece with energy, resonance, and a heightened connection to the natural and elemental world.
CONDUCTIVE PAINTING
In their labs, KĀHIKO creates a finely tuned conductive paint by blending graphite with a natural binder and infusing it with the essence of Lōkēlani rose, capturing its heart-centered energy and gentle resilience. This coating makes the piece electrically conductive so it can be electroplated. They then airbrush it for a smooth, even layer that preserves the plant’s delicate form while preparing it for metal plating.
COPPER ELECTROPLATING
Once the plant is coated with conductive paint, they then electroplate it in a copper sulfite solution, passing a controlled electrical current through the surface. Over time, this gradually deposits a layer of copper onto the plant, preserving every intricate detail while giving it a strong, conductive foundation for further plating.
Silver + Gold PLATING
After building the copper base, KĀHIKO continues with silver and gold plating by submerging the piece in their respective metal solutions and applying a precise electrical current. The metals are deposited in thin, even layers over the copper, enhancing the piece’s durability, luster, and energetic qualities while preserving every natural detail.
Once plating is complete, each piece is finished by adding fasteners, end caps, or posts, transforming the plated plants into wearable creations. For copper pieces, they apply a thin resin seal to protect the metal from tarnishing, ensuring the piece retains its shine and beauty over time.
The Collaborations of KĀHIKO & Lost Adornments
What does it look like when this process, deeply rooted in intention, respect and organics meets another? After years of searching, and running into walls, a perfect marrying of bone and metal has been born anew. Enter, the Exo Hoops.
Or, rather, the Exo Series, featuring a culmination of our skills and craft, leading to sculptural pieces that seem to creep from the abyss. Shelled in metal, works that will still carry with them the stories of lives past lived. A preservation of the past; shrouded in a new light and completely new energy. A story that not only transforms nature, but each of our journeys.
Limited edition collaboration pieces will be available in copper, silver and gold.
You can find KĀHIKO and their otherworldly transformations of the natural world into metal HERE.
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