I’m Campbell Potter, a New Zealander of European descent living in Christchurch. I’ve spent the last ten years learning to carve Pounamu, alongside my work as a teacher. These days, I carve full time from my small workshop at home. I do everything myself—from finding and cutting the stone to shaping, polishing, lashing, and photographing each piece. For me, carving is about connection. Each taonga I make carries meaning, whether it’s a story, a memory, or something to anchor a moment in time. I create taonga to be worn, gifted, and passed on.
This Tangiwai Pounamu taonga features a koru carved into its side, symbolising growth, renewal, and connection. The rare translucent greenstone glows when held to the light, making it a powerful reminder of transformation and potential.
This Tangiwai Pounamu Roimata is 10cm long, carved from deep dark green stone with a fine clear grain. The Roimata, or teardrop, symbolises healing, comfort, and connection, making it a meaningful taonga to wear close. When held to the light, the stone glows beautifully, revealing its depth. Finished with a black spiral lashing. I also have a matching piece available if you’d like a set of two.
This 65mm Roimata is carved from deep green Bowenite Pounamu sourced from the Tasman region. In low light it appears dark and solid, but when held to the sun it becomes highly translucent, revealing the inner structure of the stone. The Roimata form represents emotion, reflection, and release, while the clarity within symbolises insight that comes from within. Finished with a clean black spiral lashing, it hangs naturally when worn.
This 65mm Hei Matau, Te Ara Kaha (Path of Strength), is carved from beautifully translucent light green Pounamu with a deep green band running through it. The clean, flowing curves give it movement while keeping a simple, balanced form. The Hei Matau symbolises strength, safe passage, and the ability to provide and protect, making this a meaningful and steady taonga to wear.
Te Ara Rua means “the two paths.” This Kawakawa Pounamu pendant symbolises the strength to walk between contrast — holding firmness and compassion, experience and growth, without losing yourself. Set in sterling silver with corner claws and a spiral detail at the base, it carries a quiet but grounded presence.
Te Au Huri means “the turning current.” It speaks to movement, flow, and the natural cycles of growth and change in our lives. This 16mm oval cabochon is carved from Fuchsite, a shimmering green chromium-rich mica, and set with a sterling silver bail featuring spiral detailing. A silver spiral engraving on the back reinforces the meaning of steady movement and evolving strength.
Te Koru Mārama means “The Enlightened Spiral,” reflecting the koru’s symbolism of growth and new beginnings, and the bright clarity of this Kahurangi Pounamu. This taonga is carved from a highly translucent stone, around 50mm high, with the koru carved into the front of a tumbled pebble. I tumbled the stone in my workshop to preserve its natural flowing curves before carving into it. When held to the light, the vivid green glows, highlighting the depth and life within the stone. It is ready to wear and is a one-of-a-kind piece.
Te Mārama Iti is the small but powerful light within a person. This 15mm Kahurangi Pounamu gem symbolises inner clarity, quiet strength, and the steady guidance we carry inside ourselves. Set in an open-backed sterling silver claw setting, its translucency allows light to pass through, reflecting the meaning it holds.
Te Niho Mārie is a small Niho Taniwha taonga carved from pale green Inanga Pounamu. The Niho Taniwha form symbolises courage, guardianship, and the strength to move through life’s challenges with calm determination. At 40mm long, this piece has a beautiful glow when held to the light and features the natural skin of the original cobble on the back. It is finished with a hidden suspension and a three-plait white honey cord lashing, leaving the form clean and uninterrupted.
Te Niho Tupuna is a powerful whānau taonga carved as a Niho Taniwha from deep green Kawakawa Pounamu. The stone has beautiful depth and weight, giving the piece a strong sense of presence and mana. Soft cloudy patterning moves through the pounamu, and the edges glow beautifully when held to the light.
The taonga measures 75mm long and features a hidden lashing point, allowing the cord to sit invisibly behind the piece so the front remains clean and uninterrupted.
Te Pou Taurite means “the balanced pillar.” This wide hei toki is carved from gem-quality Kawakawa Pounamu and measures 40mm long and 40mm wide at the base, giving it a solid, grounded presence. When held to the light it glows with deep green clarity, showing the strength within the stone. The hei toki symbolises resilience, determination, and the ability to stand firm — this piece carries that meaning in a compact, balanced form.
This Kōuma, named Te Whakaata o te Onepū or The Reflection of the Sand, symbolises inner strength and ancestral support. It’s a reminder to look deeper, to find beauty in what others might miss, and to carry quiet strength in everyday life.
This 95mm Hei Tiki is carved from beach serpentine Pounamu I sourced near Hokitika. It features a side-hanging design with paua inlaid eyes and a harakeke-coloured 4-braid cord through the arm. The deep moss green stone has tan highlights from the original skin of the stone on the face, belly, and hand. Hei Tiki are rich in tradition, symbolising whakapapa, fertility, and ancestral strength.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Y2qXqKXfWXs?si=3xK95QkL4vKKv3p-
Carved from dark grey ōnewa (basalt) sourced from the Banks Peninsula area, this 100mm taonga follows the natural shape of the stone to form a striking mako-inspired design. A pāua eye has been set into the head, with the snout pointing downward and a fin emerging from the side of the piece. The stone has a deep, powerful presence and is suspended on a black cord with a three-hole ringbolt lashing. Basalt was traditionally used by Māori to create tools and weapons due to its strength and fine grain.
Hand-carved from light grey basalt from the Port Hills, this 4.3cm Toki pendant features a black lashing.
It symbolizes strength and resilience, making it perfect for personal empowerment or as a meaningful gift.
This 65mm Toki is carved from Totoweka Pounamu, a beautiful variety of Kawakawa from South Westland. In natural light, it shows deep forest green tones, but when held up to the sun, a striking reddish-brown hue glows through the stone. The Toki represents strength, determination, and the will to shape and influence the world around us.
