What is a Inanga pounamu?

Inanga Pounamu The inanga variety of pounamu takes its name from inanga – a native freshwater fish (Galaxias maculatus). The young of this species are commonly known as whitebait. Inanga pounamu resembles the pale colour and transparency of the mata (young whitebait).

What is Inanga stone?

–Inanga. Pearly white, greyish green, and blue can be translucent or very opaque. This type of stone is a highly prized type of pounamu by Poutini Ngāi Tahu. It gets its name from the juvenile native minnow or more commonly known as whitebait.

What is the rarest pounamu?

Kahurangi is the rarest variety of pounamu. It is highly translucent and often comes in vivid shades of green. Kahurangi is named after the clearness of the sky.

How many different types of pounamu are there?

four main types
Māori people recognised four main types of pounamu, identifying their colour and translucence: kawakawa, kahurangi, īnanga and tangiwai. The first three are nephrite, while tangiwai is bowenite. There were many other names for varieties of pounamu (including tribal variations), based on shade and hue.

What is the best quality greenstone?

Kahurangi. Kahurangi literally means prized, precious, honourable, distinguished and treasured. Kahurangi is also a type of light-green, translucent greenstone without flaws or spots that is highly prized.

How do you know if pounamu is real?

Authentic Ngāi Tahu Pounamu prominently displays both a mark of authenticity and a unique traceability code which, when entered online, identifies the origin and whakapapa of the stone, describes how it was extracted and processed, and tells you who the artist was that carved it.

Can I wear pounamu in the shower?

a. Can I wear my necklace in the shower? Yes. Soaps will not affect the colour or finish of your stone.

Why do Kiwis wear greenstone?

Pounamu jewellery is typically carved into traditional Māori symbols. More than just a beautiful art form, pounamu can represent ancestors, connection with the natural world, or attributes such as strength, prosperity, love, and harmony.

Can you wear someone else’s greenstone?

Can you wear someone else’s greenstone? It is not considered culturally appropriate to wear someone else’s greenstone (pounamu) unless it has been formally gifted to you by way of ceremony. This practice represents the handing over of spiritual and practical knowledge from our ancestors.

Do you have to bless a pounamu?

Is the pounamu blessed? Yes, all our pounamu is blessed in its raw form before the carving process begins. All our carvers handle each taonga with customary respect and carved with every possible care.