Pounamu Pounamu Pounamu refers to several types of hard, durable and highly valued nephrite jade, bowenite, or serpentinite stone found in southern New Zealand. Pounamu is the Māori name. These rocks are also generically known as "greenstone" in New Zealand English. There are two systems for classifying pounamu. Geologically, the rock falls into the three categories named above, but Māori classify pounamu by appearance. The main classifications are "kawakawa", "kahurangi", "īnanga", and "tangiwai". The first three are nephrite jade, while "tangiwai" is a form of bowenite. In modern usage "pounamu" almost always refers to nephrite jade. Pounamu is generally found in
Empire Nephrite (Fabergé egg) by a specially commissioned group of experts, a unique historical document was found – the "List of the personal property of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, located in storage at Gatchina Palace" by 28 July 1917. This 12-page booklet mentions at least 150 items, including 7 Imperial Fabergé eggs that belonged to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. On the second page of this document, as number 10, there is a description "Egg with gold mounts, on two nephrite columns, with portraits of Gr. Dss. Olga Alexandrovna and Duke P.A. Oldenburg inside". This description is the most accurate that Fabergé researchers