Marsden Flower Jade Set

It started as a quiet walk on the beach. She wasn’t even looking for anything, just spending time with her husband along the West Coast shoreline. But something caught her eye—a single stone, standing out among the rest. She picked it up and brought it to me to see what could be made from it.

What she had found turned out to be stunning Marsden Flower Jade—deep green Kawakawa Pounamu with golden-yellow flower-like patterns flowing through it. From this one beach-found cobble, I carved two taonga: one for her, and one for him.

I felt the desire to document the transformation of this pounamu cobble into the taonga they were to become. I am so happy I did, it was a real privilege to shape this set.

This set was created to honour connection. The connection between husband and wife, and between both of them and the whenua of Aotearoa. Each taonga comes from the same stone, tying them together through shared origin and shared journey. It’s a reminder that even in everyday moments, something lasting and powerful can be found.

Marsden Flower Jade, or Putiputi Pounamu, is one of the most visually striking types of Pounamu found in Aotearoa. The rich green and gold colouring makes each piece unique. That it was found on a walk with no intention to fossick makes this find even more special—an unexpected gift from the whenua.

Pounamu like this doesn’t just carry beauty, it carries meaning. It symbolises the land itself and the deep ties we have to it, especially when discovered by chance in a moment shared between two people.