Carved by David Curtis, Te Kaitiaki is a beautifully detailed Manaia pendant measuring 90 mm long. Flowing in the shape of a roimata, the design forms an elegant bird’s head with finely carved spiral details creating the eye and sweeping beak. Finished with a traditional three-hole ring bolt lashing on a tan cord, this one-of-a-kind taonga symbolises protection, guidance, and the connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.
A 70mm Hei Matau carved from Kawakawa Pounamu with a bird’s head and a notched blade. A taonga that honours the provider across land and sea.
Te Kākano o te Māia, meaning The Seed of Courage, is a 60 mm hei toki carved from beautiful tangiwai. With soft pale and mid-green tones flowing through the stone, it reveals remarkable translucency when held to the light, highlighting the natural patterns within the pounamu. Finished with a black cord, it is a taonga that symbolises strength, courage, and the determination to shape your own future.
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.
Carved by David Curtis from rich kawakawa pounamu, this 60 mm niho combines the enduring symbolism of the taniwha tooth with an elegant koru carved into its inner face. Suspended from a hidden hole, the design flows naturally from strength into growth, representing resilience, protection, and the ability to keep moving forward through life’s challenges.
Te Manu Tiaki is a full-sized Mere carved from Kawakawa Pounamu, named for the subtle manu carved into the handle. Featuring a pāua eye and gently shaped beak, the guardian figure symbolises protection, guidance, and the enduring presence of a kaitiaki.
The stone displays rich green colouring with pale flecked patterns that evoke clouds, rain, and changing weather moving across the landscape. Measuring 36cm in length, this slim and elegant Mere carries the traditional symbolism of leadership, mana, and responsibility. Finished with a black eight-braid cord and supplied with the stand pictured.
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 Māramatanga is a handcrafted hei matau inspired by an historic taonga featured on the cover of one of the Pounamu Treasures books. Carved from beautifully translucent chalcedony, also known as carnelian in its orange-toned form, it displays soft cloudy patterns and warm amber highlights that glow in the light. Suspended from a white four-braid cord, this one-of-a-kind piece brings together the traditional symbolism of the hei matau with the distinctive beauty of an uncommon carving material.
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.
Carved by David Curtis from luminous kahurangi pounamu, this delicate 50 mm roimata is designed for effortless everyday wear. Its gently bevelled lower edge gives the pendant a refined profile, while the simple black drop-hole lashing follows the sides of the carving to complement its clean lines. A taonga that symbolises compassion, healing, resilience, and emotional strength.
A modern, angular Hei Matau carved from Kawakawa Pounamu, defined by offset recessed bevels that shift across each face. One side rises, the other draws inward, creating a sense of movement and contrast. Bound with a black cord, this piece speaks to navigating change, adapting direction, and finding strength in difference.
Te Toka Pūmau is a connected set of taonga carved from a single cobble of Inanga Pounamu. The display stone forms the foundation of the set, while the Roimata and Toki were carved from the piece removed to create its base, permanently linking all three pieces through the same whakapapa of stone.
The display piece naturally resembles either a fern frond or a mountain range rising upward from the whenua. Rather than being shaped into that form, the natural contours of the cobble revealed it once the front face was polished. The Roimata and Toki both retain the natural rind on their backs, preserving the original surface of the stone while contrasting against the polished carved fronts. Together, the set represents grounding, connection, strength, and shared origins.
Te Tūhononga, meaning “The Connection”, is a matching pair of hand-carved Pounamu taonga made from Tākiri Pounamu from Douglas Creek. The set includes a 70 mm Kōuma and a 70 mm Hei Toki, each suspended on a black cord, with a five-hole ring-bolt lashing on the Kōuma and a traditional toki lashing on the Hei Toki.
Carved from the same piece of stone, these taonga represent the connection between people. The Kōuma symbolises abundance and the sharing of life’s gifts, while the Hei Toki represents strength, courage, and determination.
Te Whao Roimata – The tears of the chisel. This speaks to the marks left by a life of effort, growth, and creation. Carved from deep, dark Kawakawa Pounamu, this 85mm Roimata carries a soft rind at the base and a cloud-like feature within the stone, reflecting the depth and individuality of the person who wears it.
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