Stunning Jewellery From New Zealand

First a disclaimer, the following is based on what I believe and understand right now and I am well aware it is a controversial subject in some quarters.  If you don’t agree that is fine with me, I am also open to changing my views in light of any new information.

I have had a love and awe of Pounamu (Greenstone, Nephrite Jade) for almost 20 years now.  In that time it has steadily increased in popularity, rarity and controversy to the point where I am now unable to legally search or buy it in any significant quantity.  Luckily I had the foresight to buy a certain amount while I was able to do so and have some stocks for my own carving future, however using it in my jewellery in bigger quantities will have to cease in a year or so when I run out of the lower grades I use to make discs for earrings.

Ownership went to to Ngai Tahu (South Island Maori tribe) as part of the Treaty of Waitangi settlements several years ago and to my knowledge they have not offered the stone for general sale.

My personal view on this is that the stone has been in existence for millions of years, the Maori have been in Aotearoa for 1000 or several thousand years depending on what you believe.  This length of time is a speck of sand on the beach of how long the Pounamu has been in the land, to give full ownership of the resource based on that fraction of time doesn’t make sense to me.

Please don’t get me wrong I don’t dispute in the slightest the spiritual connection of the Maori to the stone, you only have to see a few of the magnificent Taonga (treasures) from their past to see that.  I just don’t get the complete “ownership” thing, as somebody who considers that I have a personal spiritual connection with the stone (created from working with it at length)  I find the whole concept of ownership of such a resource to be weird to be quite honest.

Some interesting (to me anyway) Pounamu facts.

-a huge amount of the Nephrite Jade sold in New Zealand is actually from British Colombia in Canada (also increasingly from Siberia).  I have heard figures of 80% and higher of the Jade sold in NZ being imported but no one really knows.  Beware of labels saying “carved in New Zealand” which often means imported stone carved in NZ.  If you ever wondered why the Jade factories have grizzly bears, Salmon and gold prospectors on the shelves it is because they are all imported from Canada!

-The term Pounamu covers both Nephrite Jade and Bowenite (known as Tangiwhai) which is actually a much softer more translucent stone (usually) which the Maori carved some wonderful pieces out of.  There is also a form of Bowenite found in Golden Bay where I live but it is very different and not so translucent.

-Pounamu is not really particularly hard as far as some stones go but is very very tough.  It has interlocking fibres which means that it is extremely strong and thus suitable for weapons and tools.

-The magnificence of Pounamu was largely lost for a hundred years or so up until the 70’s when (mostly Pakeha) jade pioneers “rediscovered” it.  Oh to have been around in those days when you could freely go up the rivers and recover magnificent specimens rarely seen nowadays!

-The early goldminers on the West Coast often discovered large boulders of Jade but considered it of little value and often used it for stones around their fireplaces.  Some jade was sent to Germany in those days to be cut into jewellery stones.  There is a legend (I don’t know if it is actually true) that later on the Germans used it for bearings in their-U Boats it was so tough and they had a metal shortage.

That is some of what I know and believe about the magnificent Pounamu.  It fills me with such a sense of beauty and awe that I can’t explain it.  I personally find it really difficult when I see amazing stones in factories and museums, I really want to see it but then I find it hard to leave it!  You always know when you meet someone who shares the special connection with the stone and I consider myself blessed to be able to have worked with it.