Before Blackington began making island police badges, they were made locally by Freitas and Dawkin Benny Jewelers. The first star badges were traced from templates and then hand engraved. Eventually, both jewelers began using tool steel-dies and striking the patterns on drop- hammers for the official badge, and then later began to make the miniatures.
We were fortunate to obtain the original dies used to create these badges, providing us with unusual insight into their manufacturing. The design used for the Sheriff’s badge served for many different governmental departments such as Deputy Sheriff, Warden, Horticultural Inspector, and Livestock Inspector.
The seven-pointed star badge pre-dates the current design used by the Honolulu Police Department, dating back to the 1930s. To our knowledge, it is the first design that was created in miniature, and like the actual badge, these miniatures were cut from plate, then hand engraved.
In 1952, Freitas Jewelers became the exclusive manufacturer of the new and current Oahu badge design in miniature, the Police Department then began buying their official badges from Blackington.
In the 1970s, we began manufacturing miniature police jewelry with Clyde Seaver, owner of Freitas Jewelers, eventually buying the dies and one antique motorized drop- hammer and taking over the business in 1980. Included in the purchase was one police die, one fire department die, and one drop hammer.
We immediately began to expand the line and advertise these products in the SHOPO newsletter under the name ‘Design’s in Gold & Freitas Jewelers’.
Among these original creations were the first miniature rings and bracelets to bear the actual shields. The expanded product line contained in this website demonstrates our commitment to the departmental products made possible by your continued support.