We here at Ariki New Zealand jewellery pride ourselves on the high quality handcrafted jewellery items we produce each and every day from our factory in Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand. This pride extends to the fact that these precious pieces of jewellery are exported across the world so that people in other countries can also enjoy owning a treasured procession.

United States of America

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states, a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and various minor islands.] The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico; the two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, are in the north-western part of North America and an archipelago in the mid-Pacific, respectively, while the territories are scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Native American Indian jewellery has a history dating back thousands of years. Tribes stretching from the southwest to the northeast have a rich history of jewellery making. These indigenous American peoples jewellery consist of all types including bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings; and are made from numerous materials including turquoise, bone, precious stones, semi-precious stones, silver, antlers, porcupine quills, and copper.

There is evidence as far back as 8,800 BC that the Paleo-Indians shaped stones and shells into jewellery pieces by using a thin stone drill.

The main reason American Indians wore jewellery was, as it is today, for adornment. It was also used to signify social class.

Turquoise has long been a dominant material in southwestern Native American jewellery. Representing the sky and known as the “fallen sky stone”, turquoise was believed to have life-giving powers and was cherished for its spiritual connection to Mother Earth.

This fact reminds me of the special significance to nature that our own native people the Māori give to both the precious Paua Shell and Pounamu or Greenstone of which is featured across our range.