New Zealand Paua Shell Jewellery

The fascinating story of paua shell jewellery, from art souvenir to highly collectible New Zealand icon. No longer regarded as the tourist kitsch of yesteryear, the book explores the history of paua shell jewellery, tracing its roots from the Classic pre-European Maori period, through the years of its main production in New Zealand from the 1920s to the 1980s, before the market was flooded by cheap, mass-produced imports. Along the way, the author shares the stories of how and why it came to be produced and by whom. It also looks at who bought it, whether as a souvenir of New Zealand or to commemorate a special place or event, and how it became a Kiwi icon.