Wayne Costar

Golden Bay pounamu carver producing traditional greenstone pendants and custom jade carvings inspired by Aotearoa’s landscapes and heritage.

''I am a professional multimedia carver, sculptor and artist. I work primarily with New Zealand Nephrite Jade, also known as Greenstone or Pounamu. My greatest passion is carving Jade and semi-precious stones, but I also work with wood, shell, fossil ivory, whalebone and Tagua nut, I enjoy the different qualities each material has to offer. There are many treasures in the corners of my workshop waiting to be turned into art.

I was born in Auckland and grew up in Titirangi, close to the native bush and the sea. My father was a keen fisherman therefore we spent hours exploring the natural world surrounded me. My parents also had an interest in rockhounding, so our trips to Coromandel, northland and other places sparked what was to become a life long passion in the mineral world.''