Our Story
From the earth,
with aroha
Hei Taonga was born from a lifelong respect for pounamu and the traditions that surround it.
Hei Taonga was born from a lifelong respect for pounamu and the traditions that surround it.
Pounamu — New Zealand greenstone — has been treasured by Māori for over eight hundred years. Found only in Te Wai Pounamu, the South Island, each stone is a rangatira in its own right. A chief among treasures.
Our carvers have spent lifetimes learning to listen to the stone. Every piece begins with a walk along a riverbed, a scan of a fresh cut, a moment of recognition. Kua tae mai koe — you have arrived.
We work with a small collective of master carvers based across the West Coast and Otago. Some have been carving for over thirty years. Some are the fifth generation in their whānau to hold the tools. All of them treat pounamu with the reverence it deserves.
Every piece we sell is carved by hand — no machines finish the work. The subtle imperfections you'll find on close inspection aren't flaws. They're the fingerprints of a person who has spent days shaping something that will outlast them.
All our pounamu is sourced legally and ethically from Ngāi Tahu-authorised suppliers. Since 1997, all naturally occurring pounamu in Te Wai Pounamu has been returned to Ngāi Tahu, and no pounamu leaves the ground without their permission.
We pay for every stone. We can trace every stone back to the awa or valley it came from. And we honour every stone by carving it with the care it deserves.
A pounamu taonga is not a fashion accessory. It is a piece that gains mana as it is worn, as it is passed down, as it becomes part of the story of the wearer and their whānau.
Our promise to you: buy a piece from us, and it will still be beautiful when your grandchildren wear it.
New carvings, stories from the workshop, and the meaning behind each taonga.