pounamu
Sign in to savethumb|upright=0.6|Pounamu barb thumb|upright|Pounamu pendant, a heavily stylized fishhook thumb|The southwest coast of New Zealand is named ("The greenstone waters"), after its deposits of greenstone, and the area resembles greenstone in this view from space. The term is also the official Māori language|Māori name for the [[South Island.]]
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Name
- Chemistry
- Geological formation and location
- Significance to Māori
- Pounamu trails
- Modern use
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|upright=0.6|Pounamu barb thumb|upright|Pounamu pendant, a heavily stylized fishhook thumb|The southwest coast of New Zealand is named ("The greenstone waters"), after its deposits of greenstone, and the area resembles greenstone in this view from space. The term is also the official Māori language|Māori name for the [[South Island.]]
Pounamu (occasionally historically spelt poenamu) is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in the South Island of New Zealand, the most predominant of which is nephrite jade. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and regarded as taonga (cultural treasures) by Māori. Carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture.