Collection: Pounamu (Greenstone) Pendant

Pounamu — also known as greenstone or New Zealand jade — is one of Aotearoa’s most treasured natural taonga (treasures). Māori regard it as sacred, powerful, and enduring, valued for its strength, beauty, and deep spiritual meaning.

Across generations, pounamu has symbolised:

• Mana — Prestige, authority, and respect

• Whakapapa — Connection to ancestors

• Protection — A guardian stone carrying mauri (life force)

• Peace & unity — Often exchanged to seal important agreements 

Because pounamu is found only in the South Island, the region became known as Te Wai Pounamu — “The Waters of Greenstone.”

One of the most well‑known Māori stories explains how pounamu came to the Arahura River:

Poutini, a powerful taniwha (guardian spirit), protected the essence of pounamu. While resting near Tūhua (Mayor Island), he saw a beautiful woman named Waitaiki and carried her away to the South Island. Her husband, Tamaāhua, pursued them relentlessly.

Fearing capture but unwilling to give Waitaiki up, Poutini transformed her into pounamu, laying her within the riverbed of the Arahura River, where the stone is still found today. Tamaāhua’s cry of grief is said to echo through the southern mountains.

This legend is why pounamu is seen not just as a stone, but as a living connection to love, loss, guardianship, and the spirit of the land.