"In the beginning man stumbled helplessly over the earth.
beset by wild beasts, until the storm god above took pity.
He forged a rainbow into Jade axes and tossed them to
Earth for man to discover"
Chinese myth

Just as the myth suggests, Jade is found in many colours all over the earth, from white through to black, although in New Zealand the green variety of hues are more commonly found. Nephrite jade is the oldest known tradeable stone in the history of mankind. It yielded durable weapons and tools for our ancestors, many of whom revered Jade more than gold.

Jade is a mixture of two rock-forming minerals, actinolite and tremolite. To become Jade these two crystallized minerals are pulverised between tectonic plates and are heated to such an extent that they become a molten liquid. The Jade cools at different rates and pressures and produces unique characteristics.

In New Zealand, Jade is found only on the West Coast of the South Island. It can be found in reefs close to the fault line but has also been distributed to lowland areas by glacial action. The recovery of Jade is very gentle on the environment as it is "found" on the surface rather than mined by traditional methods.

Flower Jade

Flower Jade is one of the most intriguing and rare varieties of Jade in New Zealand. The Jade itself
is usually green in colour with beautifully contrasting patterns of cream, brown or yellow inclusions.The colours may take the form of fissures or cracks in the stone where natural chemicals such as iron have entered during its formation.

Kokopu

Kokopu is one of New Zealand's rare and exquisite varieties of nephrite jade. It is the Maori name for three species of native freshwater fish. They are a combination of olive green, dark brown and yellowish colourings. Nephrite jade with similiar colours and markings or brown spots is referred to as kokopu or trout stone.

Inanga

Inanga was the most highly prized type of jade by the Maori for ornaments and meres. It is pearly-white or grey-green in colour. The name inanga comes from the similiar colourings of the native whitebait or inanga.

Kawakawa

This variety of Pounamu is characterised by small dark inclusions which add to the beauty of the Jade. It is named after the native Kawakawa plant because of the shared dark green colouring. It is the variety most used in the manufacturing of jewellery today.

Kahurangi

One of the rarest varieties of Pounamu, Kahurangi is a light green hue, highly translucent with no dark spots or flaws.