Tangiwai Pebble – Natural Strength

This taonga began its life as a glassy Tangiwai pebble from the remote and rugged coastline of Anita Bay, deep in Fiordland. This is the only place in the world where this unique variety of Tangiwai – with its rare glass-like clarity – is found. I didn’t shape this piece. I didn’t need to. Its natural form already held something powerful. All I did was polish and suspend it on a cord, ready to be worn close.

A woman commissioned it for her brother – a simple but meaningful gift. She didn’t want it carved or altered, just respected for what it was. The result is a taonga that connects directly to the whenua it came from. In the light, it glows with an incredible translucency that’s hard to capture in photos – shifting from deep green to soft glimmers, with layers hidden within.

There’s something grounding about a stone like this – untouched by tools, shaped only by time, tides, and the land. It holds a raw kind of beauty. It speaks of resilience, of quiet strength, and of deep connection to place. And now, it carries new meaning: a gift between siblings, from a sister to her brother.