UNFOUND

A special commission for a private client. A large piece of West Coast pounamu (New Zealand jade / greenstone), roughly 300 × 300 mm, held for ten years with the intention of one day having it polished and properly displayed as a birthday gift.

We approached the stone with care and respect for its natural faces and textures. Only the smoother face was refined to bring out its colours and depth; the rest received the lightest polish, sharp edges softened, yet the form left true to how it came from the land. The aim was never to overwork the pounamu, but to reveal its inherent beauty with the lightest possible touch, honouring its mauri and the mana it carries.

A GRC plinth with a timber slab was made as its bed. Grooves matching the underside of the stone were carved into the timber so the pounamu sits securely without sliding.

At the unveiling we held a karakia, blessing the taonga for health, good fortune and positive energy in the home. Honouring the mauri of the stone.

We are grateful to have been trusted with this taonga and to have treated it with the respect it deserves.