This is a second post about Greenstone (Nephrite, Jade). The first one is titled The Stone Which Guards New Zealand

Nephrite is found in NZ in relatively large quantities, and it plays an important role in Maori culture. Since 1997 all nephrite deposits were given to Maori management. Pounamu is a Maori word for greenstone and bowenite. In Maori culture there was a classification of pounamu according to color, and it was divided into four types – inanga, kawakawa, tangiwai, and kahurangi.
Inanga (in translation from Maori means whitebait) is a pearl white grey or green colored stone which is usually semitransparent.
Kawakawa is a green-colored stone with different shades, with shape resembling a leaf from the Kawakawa tree.
Tangiwai is almost transparent, bluish-green to olive-green type of serpentine, found mainly at the entrance to Milford Sound. The word tangiwai came from the Maori legend about the petrification of a lamenting woman tears.
Kahurangi is the rarest form of greenstone. It has a light green color with light streaks resembling clouds. This stone is very translucent.
Pounamu was used in making the sacred war staff symbolizing authority, and for hei-tiki – а pendant in the form of the stylized figure of ancestor bearing the soul of another ancestor. When a Maori wanted to make a piece of jewelry for himself, he first had to find the “right” stone. For that he came to tohuriga, the sorcerer, who by getting into trance got directions from souls of the death about the whereabouts of the desired stone.
In my next post about greenstone I will tell about additional widespread forms of Maori greenstone medallions.

Maori Jade Hei Matau

Related posts:

1. The Stone which Guards New Zealand
2. Rotorua – Heartland of Maori Culture