Greenstone (Pounamu) Necklace-Making Workshop
NZ greenstone (Pounamu) is a popular souvenir in New Zealand. In te reo Māori, it is also called pounamu. Buying a piece from a shop is wonderful, but have you ever thought, “I’d love to make one with my own hands”?
Recently, I joined a workshop where you make a necklace using pounamu. It was held at a studio in East Auckland, starting at 10 a.m. and running for almost the whole day. We began by choosing our stone from a selection of roughly cut pieces. I really enjoyed being able to pick a stone while thinking about who it might suit and who I might like to gift it to.
This particular workshop was for making a halfmoon-shaped necklace. Here is the pounamu I chose—the yellowish one on the left. It’s not a colour you often see in shops; it felt more like the kind of piece you might see in a museum. I loved how unique it was. On the right side of the photo is the grinding stone.
For the making process, we used whetstones and mechanical grinding tools, slowly shaving down the edges to shape the piece. Once the rough shape was done, we used files and then sandpaper in stages, taking time to smooth and refine the surface. At the end, the stone was polished with a machine, and then we threaded it with cord to finish. You can even choose the colour of the cord—but for me, the hardest part was braiding and finishing the cord.
On the day, it wasn’t just about making the necklace. We also heard cultural stories connected to pounamu, and it was special to be able to learn about Māori culture while creating something with my hands. I also learned an important cultural custom: in Māori tradition, the first piece you make should be given to someone else as a gift. Some people say it can be okay to wear it yourself first, but the core idea is that “the first one is a gift.”
Ta-da—here it is, finished!
I really enjoyed the quiet, hands-on time—almost like having a conversation with the stone while I worked. It was a great refresh, and the making process itself was so much fun.
If you’re looking for a meaningful present for a loved one—or simply want to create something special—why not try making your own pounamu? The more time you spend shaping it with your own hands, the more personal and precious the finished necklace becomes.
The workshop I attended was this one: Aotearoa Bone and Stone: https://absca.nz/
Thank you very much for reading!
Japanese version is here.
