Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year. This pattern (the niho Taniwha - triangles) represents the nine stars in the Matariki constellation; Matariki, Waitī, Waitā, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Waipunarangi, Ururangi, Pōhutukawa, Hiwa-i-te-rangi.
Nichola Te Kiri
Friends of Māori artist and designer Nichola Te Kiri noticed a growing contemporary jewellery collection in her studio. In November 2011, they created a Facebook group to promote and sell her beautiful handcrafted pieces, which honour Aotearoa’s heritage with a contemporary Maori design twist.