The hei-tiki is a carved nephrite pendant worn at the neck by Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand, ground by hand from pounamu — greenstone quarried from the rivers and mountains of Te Wai Pounamu. Kawakawa, the darkest variety, is an emerald-to-near-black stone flecked with shadow, patiently abraded rather than faceted, so its form is soft-shouldered and its edges alone turn translucent with light. Traditionally the eyes were inlaid with pāua shell; after European contact, red sealing wax became a common substitute, a small foreign accent against an otherwise ancestral form. Passed down through generations as taonga, a hei-tiki absorbed the mana of its wearers, its stone darkening and its polish deepening with age and touch.