Diamond Head

1/28/2025

Diamond Head is a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. It is known to Hawaiians as Lēʻahi, which is most likely derived from lae (browridge, promontory) plus ʻahi (tuna) because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin. The mountain was given it’s English name in the early 1800s by British sailors who discovered sparkling volcanic calcite crystals in the sand and mistook them for diamonds. Diamond Head is a defining feature of the view known to residents and tourists of Waikiki, and also a U.S. National Natural Monument.

The small hand painted card below, which features Diamond Head, was sent to Anna Marvick from Alfred Jacobson while he was stationed in Honolulu during WWI.