Pounamu / Greenstone / Nephrite Jade
The value of Green stone lies in its toughness and unique beauty. Greenstone has been found on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand’s Alpine regions and other unique areas around the world such as Canada, Australia, United States, Siberia and Taiwan. Greenstone is a Silicate of Magnesium and Calcium with small additives of Chromium and Iron. Greenstone was formed by the enormous and constant pressure from deep in the Earths core which is still building the Southern Alps of New Zealand since their inception over 100 million years ago. The Maori treasure Pounamu (Greenstone) as the most valuable item a person can possess. For this reason the stone has been accepted as a spiritual statement for centuries and is used for adornment by Chiefs, High Priests and Warriors. Greenstone is known to protect and strengthen the spirit of the person who carries it. The Greenstone Pendants and figurines on display before you are produced by Master Carvers and are presented in two major colour tones which are highly regarded by the local Maori, they are:
- Kahurangi – Green translucent, light misty tones with speckles of iron.
- Kawakawa – Semi translucent with deep green reflective tones.
There are two kinds of Jade
Nephrite and Jadeite. What is the difference? Both types of Jade are found in various parts of the world. Jadeite is mainly sourced from Burma in China. Nephrite can commonly be found in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Russia and small deposits in other areas around the world. The difference lies in the mineral composition, hardness and texture. If looking at Jade under a microscope, you will see that Nephrite has interwoven fibrous crystals, whereas Jadeite is made us of interlocking granular crystals. Of the two, Jadeite is harder and slightly tougher. Jadeite (Chinese Jade) also comes in different colours ranging from white and yellow, red and lavender to all shades of green. Australian Jade is found in the desert west of Cowell in South Australia. It appears to have a beautiful unique black colour. This is actually a very dense green which can be revealed if carved to a very fine thinness allowing light to penetrate through. Australian Jade is a well favoured carving material.
| Common Name: | Greenstone / Pounamu | Chinese Jade |
| Geological Name: | Nephrite | Jadeite |
| Chemical: | CaMgs(OH)2(SIO11)2 | NaAl(SiO3)2 |
| Composition: | Silicate of Calcium and Magnesium Monoclinic | Silicate of Sodium and Aluminum Monoclinic |
| Other Chemicals: | Iron – Black Spots | |
| Components: | Chrome – Green Spots | |
| Toughness: | 6.00 – 6.500 | 6.50 – 7.00 |
| Specific Gravity: | 1000 | 500 |
| Colours: | 2.9 – 3.00 Light or dark green, black, grey, white, blue and red | 3,39 – 3.38 Intense green, mottled green and white brown, yellow, violet and red. |
| Sources: | New Zealand, Alaska, Canada, Siberia, Taiwan | Burma |