 |
The name Tangiwai comes from a Maori Legend. One variation of this legend is that the warrior Tama was deserted by his three wives and set out in search of them. On finding one of them turned to pounamu at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound), he wept and this gave rise to Tangiwai (tear-stone). Tangiwai is almost black when flat on a dark surface, but when backlit the hidden colours and swirling patterns of dark flecks suddenly leap out at you. This is a spectacular and rare stone, highly prized by the Maori because of its translucency. Maori classify pounamu according to colour and have named four main types: Kawakawa The first three are nephrite and the fourth is Bowenite, a type of serpentine. Although the Maori considered Tangiwai a variety of greenstone, they knew of its difference from the various types of nephrite largely because of its high level of translucence. There were many other names for varieties of pounamu (including tribal variations) based on shade and hue. Tangiwai can range in color from olive-green to bluish-green. Geologists have determined that nephrite and bowenite formed deep in the earth, probably at depths in excess of 10 kilometres. Hot fluids caused a chemical reaction in zones where volcanic and sedimentary rocks were in contact, which produced narrow deposits of pounamu. Pounamu is found only in the South Island. Because of this, the island was originally named Te Wa-hi Pounamu (the place of pounamu), but over time this name changed to Te Wai Pounamu (the greenstone waters). |
