Koru - Green Stone / Pounamu

Source from South Island Greenstone / Pounamu, and craved in Auckland by Ernesto Ovalle, who is an accomplished Pounamu carver, with over 25 years experience as a jewellery maker. 

Each piece of pounamu is lashed onto an adjustable hand woven wax cord that measures 70cm at full length.

• Measure: diameters 3.5 cm 
• Handcrafted in New Zealand
• Each piece is hand-carved individually, no two are the same. 

Pounamu, or New Zealand Jade, is a majestic stone sourced from the coastal regions, riverbeds, and Glaciers of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Traditionally utilised by Maori tribes, the stone was, at that time, seen as the strongest substance known to man.

Pounamu was sought for its robustness when used as a tool for hunting, fishing and fighting. For spiritual practice, the stones ethereal qualities and deep green colour were admired, also now, in our contemporary world.

It is popular belief that Pounamu contains something more than rock, and when touched, this is noticed, whether this something is metaphysical or otherwise. Pounamu was formed into jewelry, heirlooms and spiritual symbols by the tribes most highly placed individuals, among the chiefs: the carvers. Employing sandstone, bark, and black obsidian, these masters of the elements spent weeks, months, even years, to gratify the best outcome for a piece of Pounamu.