Nephrite "hei-tiki" (neck pendant). These are believed to have their own "mana", are handed down as valuable heirlooms, and often given as gifts to seal important agreements. It has also been used for a range of tools such as adzes, as Māori had no metal tools before European contact. Commonly called "greenstone", jade jewellery in Māori designs is widely popular with tourists. Stone is often imported from Canada, China and Siberia, and Ngai Tahu runs a pounamu certification scheme to verify the authenticity of New Zealand stone. Nephrite Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium, and iron-rich amphibole minerals tremolite
Theory of forms Theory of forms The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas is a philosophical theory, concept, or world-view, attributed to Plato, that the physical world is not as real or true as eternal, absolute, unchangeable ideas. According to this theory, ideas in this sense, often capitalized and translated as "Ideas" or "Forms", are the non-physical essences of all things, of which objects and matter in the physical world are merely imitations. Plato speaks of these entities only through the characters (primarily Socrates) of his dialogues who sometimes suggest that these Forms are the only objects of study that can provide