Pounamu in its raw, unprocessed form may not be listed on site. Carved jewellery, ornaments and other finished pieces are still welcome.

We've added pounamu to our Banned and restricted list.

Finished pounamu such as carved pendants, hei tiki, hei matau, toki, rings, earrings, sculptures and ornaments are not affected. There's a large and entirely legitimate trade in finished pounamu on site, and we want that to keep going.

Why we've made this call

Raw pounamu is often taken from land and riverbeds within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā. Under the Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997, all pounamu in its natural state within that area is owned by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. That means someone selling raw pounamu usually can't show they lawfully own it – and there have been prosecutions for unlawfully sourced stone.

While there is a raw pounamu that is legitimately sourced, we’ve made an across the board call.

The test we apply: is it a finished piece?

What we look at is whether the item is a finished piece: complete and ready for its end use as jewellery, an ornament, a carving or something comparable. A finished piece is shaped for a purpose, usually polished, and needs no further working before it's worn, displayed or used.

Anything sold as material for someone else to work, or as a part-completed item, isn't allowed – no matter how much cutting or shaping has already been done, and no matter what it's called in the listing.

Examples of what pounamu can't be listed

Uncut river or beach cobbles.
Boulders and large uncut stone.
Rough sawn slabs and plates.
Carving blanks, whether blocked out or drilled.
Offcuts, chips and 'carver's scraps', including stone sold by weight.
Tumbled or polished loose stones with no shaping – a surface finish on its own isn't enough.

What pounamu can still be listed

Finished, polished hei toki, hei matau, pendants, rings and earrings.
Finished, polished carvings, sculptures and ornaments.
Finished pieces already mounted or bound, with a cord or clasp fitted.
A finished piece that needs a new cord or a minor repair – it's still a complete item.

Questions

"It's been cut and drilled, so it isn't raw." Cutting and drilling don't make a finished piece. It's still material until it's complete and ready for its end use.

"I'm a carver and I need…." The rule applies to the listing, not the buyer. Blanks and material can't be traded on Trade Me, whoever is buying.

"It was sourced before 1997," or "it didn't come from the South Island." The rule covers all raw pounamu, from all sources.

"I have Ngāi Tahu certification." Certification doesn't make a raw listing okay. The rule is about the form of the item, not where it came from.

A note on taonga tūturu

This is separate from the raw pounamu rule, but worth knowing. An item found before 1 April 1976 may be taonga tūturu under the Protected Objects Act 1975. Taonga tūturu can only be traded where both the seller and the buyer are registered collectors with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. If you think you're holding something that might be taonga tūturu, talk to the Ministry before you list it but note our raw pounamu rule applies.

How we'll enforce this

Our Trust and Safety team reviews reports about pounamu listings. We also work alongside NZ Police and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage where a listing needs it.

Our first step is usually to educate – most sellers listing raw pounamu don't know the rule exists. Where members keep breaching it, we'll remove listings, restrict or ban accounts..

Spotted something?

If you see a listing you're concerned about, report it through Community Watch at the bottom of the listing, and we'll take a look.

Raw Pounamu - not permitted for sale