Roimata Surprise

This was a find on a beach that a woman brought into me. She was interested to see if we could turn her surprise find into a taonga for her to wear. This gorgeous Roimata was the result.

You can see the pounamu that we started with below. Things do not always turn out this well when you are have a go at carving a cobble. They often have fractures or other imperfections that limit the ability to be able to carve them and you never really know until you give it ago. The safe option is to leave them as a cobble. However this time it definitely paid off.

The term “roimata” translates to “tear drop” in English, while “pounamu” refers to the stone itself. Roimata pounamu is often carved into the shape of a teardrop, and is considered to be a symbol of love, healing, and emotional well-being. It is also believed to have protective qualities and is often worn as a pendant or given as a gift to show appreciation or respect. In Maori culture, the giving of a roimata pounamu is a sign of deep connection and respect between individuals, and it is considered to be a highly meaningful and treasured gift.

We were also lucky enought to be able to use 3 of the offcuts to make some smaller pendants that included some of the outer rough of the cobble too. Pounamu is a highly valued stone in Maori culture and is believed to possess a mauri, or life force, that is unique to each stone. When a set of pounamu is carved from the same source cobble, it is believed that the stones retain a connection to one another and share a common mauri. This connection is considered to be spiritually significant and can imbue the stones with a greater sense of power and meaning. It is often seen as a symbol of unity and harmony, both within the set of stones and between individuals who possess them.