Region Guide
Pounamu in Northland Te Tai Tokerau
Northland is the birthplace of New Zealand, the region where Kupe first arrived in Aotearoa and where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed at Waitangi in 1840.
It is a land of deep Māori heritage, ancient kauri forests, and a coastline stretching from the harbour cities of the east to the wild surf beaches of the west. Against this backdrop of living history and culture, pounamu (greenstone) holds a special place as a taonga that has been carried north through trade routes from the South Island for centuries.
While pounamu is sourced exclusively from the rivers and mountains of the South Island's West Coast, the people of Te Tai Tokerau have treasured it for generations. Iwi throughout Northland received pounamu through ancient trade networks and gifted it as a symbol of mana, alliance, and spiritual connection.
We're still building out our directory for this region, so there are no carvers, galleries or shops listed in Northland just yet. Once they are, you'll find them on this page alongside the cultural story behind this treasured taonga.
No listings in Northland yet
We haven't added any pounamu carvers, galleries or shops in Northland to the directory just yet. We're always looking to feature genuine, New Zealand-carved pounamu wherever it's found, including here.
List Your BusinessAbout Pounamu in Northland
Northland’s connection to pounamu stretches back to the earliest days of Māori settlement in Aotearoa. The region’s iwi, including Ngāpuhi, the largest iwi in New Zealand, received pounamu through trade with South Island iwi, carrying it north along ancient ara (pathways) that crossed the length of the country. Pounamu taonga gifted or traded in Te Tai Tokerau carried deep significance as symbols of alliance, peace, and mana between peoples.
The Bay of Islands in particular, as the site of some of New Zealand’s earliest European settlement and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, has a rich history of cultural exchange in which pounamu played a central role. Historic pounamu pieces from Northland can be found in museum collections throughout New Zealand, testament to the stone’s enduring importance in this region.
Today visitors to Northland can find authentic pounamu at a small but carefully chosen selection of galleries and gift shops, where pieces are stocked with genuine respect for the cultural heritage of the stone. When purchasing pounamu in Northland, look for Ngāi Tahu authentication to guarantee genuine New Zealand origin. To learn more about identifying authentic pounamu visit our guide on how to tell if pounamu is real.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Pounamu in Northland
No. Pounamu comes only from rivers in Te Wāhipounamu on the South Island, primarily on the West Coast, with smaller deposits in Fiordland, western Southland and the Nelson and Tasman district. Any pounamu sold in Northland has been carved and brought up from those South Island sources.
We don't currently have any carvers, galleries or shops listed in Northland. Check back as our directory grows, or browse our regions page to find genuine pounamu sellers elsewhere in New Zealand who ship nationwide.
Ask the retailer where the stone was sourced and who carved it. A reputable seller will be transparent about provenance regardless of where their shop is located. For more detail, see our full authenticity guide.
There's no such thing as Northland pounamu; the stone itself only comes from the South Island. Any genuine piece sold in Northland is the same New Zealand greenstone found everywhere else in the country, simply sold through a North Island retailer.