To apply online as a liscensed purchaser and manufacturer of Ngai Tahu Pounamu, read through the Terms and Conditions below and then fill in the application form that follows.
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WHAT IS A LICENSED PURCHASER AND MANUFACTURER OF NGĀI TAHU POUNAMU?
Significant quantities of the jade manufactured in New Zealand is made from raw stone that is imported from overseas - in
particular Canada, China and Siberia. Furthermore many carved jade pieces sold in New Zealand are manufactured in China.
Much of this product is sold under the impression that it is genuine New Zealand Greenstone, or Pounamu (in indigenous Maori
name for greenstone/jade), carved by New Zealand and indigenous Maori artisans.
To overcome this confusion the legal owners of Pounamu/Greenstone in New Zealand, the indigenous Ngāi Tahu people
of New Zealand’s South Island, have developed an assurance scheme to certify products made from genuine New Zealand
Greenstone/Pounamu. This is to provide assurance to those purchasing greenstone/pounamu products that they have
obtained the authentic and genuine article.
Individuals or businesses can be licensed to use the authenticity assurance scheme developed under the authority of the Ngāi
Tahu tribal council. Being licensed means that you have the ability to purchase certified raw pounamu stone from the Ngāi
Tahu Pounamu website. Stone can be viewed prior to purchase from the inventory store. However to become licensed the
purchaser must agree to the rules of the authenticity assurance scheme.
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THE RULES OF THE ASSURANCE SCHEME
A manufacturer that has become licensed to purchase Ngāi Tahu Pounamu is provided with a username and password that
enables them to enter into the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu website. Once they have logged in they can view all raw ‘origin’ stones that
are currently for sale.
For a more detailed inspection of the stone they may wish to travel to the inventory stores (in Christchurch and Hokitika) to view
the stone in more detail before purchasing. Once a stone has been selected it can be purchased on the website using a credit
card or debit card. If being purchased from an inventory store internet access is available to make
the purchase from the warehouse via the website.
Once purchased the stone can either be dispatched from the warehouse to the manufacturer (if bought online), or taken
directly from the warehouse. Freighting costs will be charged for those that chose to make an online purchase and not pick-up
the stone themselves.
When purchasing the stone the manufacturer will be asked how many certificates they wish to be issued with the stone. The
number of certificates will be based on the quantity of items, or manufactured products; the manufacturer anticipates will be
carved from the raw origin stone. Each certificate has a unique and random barcode associated with it.
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As the manufacturer cuts the stone and carves it into end products they attach a certificate to each product. They are then
required to digitally photography each product, using a background card that has been posted to the manufacturer after they
are licensed. The photograph must be taken with the certificate and unique barcode in view.
The photograph must then be uploaded onto the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu website, along with the weight of the manufactured
item, and wholesale price, or recommended retail price. The photograph and weight is uploaded onto the website via the
artisan login link (which can be viewed below). A picture of the upload portal is provided below:
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Online Sales
Selling your finished products directly through the Ngai Tahu Pounamu website will become available in the coming months. This will allow artisans to have an online retail supply direct to the market, allowing purchasers to browse your collection online as well as pay using credit card.
More information about this feature will be released closer to the time of it coming online.
Licensing Cost Recovery Levy
Given that there are costs in running the authenticity assurance scheme, and developing the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu brand, it is
necessary to charge a Cost Recovery Levy to those who are licensed to purchase and manufacture Ngāi Tahu Pounamu and use its
trademark. The licensing fees are charged based on the wholesale price, or recommended retail price of the manufactured
items uploaded on the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu website. The current rate of Cost Recovery Levy is as follows:
15% of an item’s wholesale price; or
7.5% of an item’s recommended retail price.
Our marketing and branding research suggests that certified manufactured pounamu products should achieve between 15%
and 30% market premiums, so any Cost Recovery Levy paid should be more than compensated for through the elevation in the value
of manufactured products.
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How the Licensing Cost Recovery Levy is Charged
As outlined above, when you upload pictures of your manufactured items onto the website you are required to enter either
the recommended retail price of the item, or the wholesale price of the item. You will enter the wholesale price of the item if
you are selling the product to a retailer. If you are retailing the product yourself you will enter the retail price. It is from these
amounts that the Cost Recovery Levy is calculated. The examples below demonstrate how this works:
In the portal above it can be seen that the wholesale price for the product is $30. The Cost Recovery Levy on this wholesale price
would be 15% or $4.50.
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The Benefits of Becoming Licensed
The benefit of becoming licensed is that every person that purchases your carved items gets a unique certificate and barcode of
authenticity. They can enter this barcode into the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu website and see the item they have purchased, the raw
origin stone that it was cut out of, and the place where the stone was harvested from.
Further they can be safely assured that their item of pounamu has been treated according to the customary respect attributed
to Pounamu by its guardians the Ngāi Tahu people. In addition licensed artisans are profiled on the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu
website and have their carved items displayed.
Using the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Trademark and Branding Material
Licensed manufacturers may only use the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu authenticity certificates attached to their manufactured items
for marketing and branding purposes. If licensees retailing their products wish to use Ngāi Tahu Pounamu branding and
advertising material for their certified products they must purchase material through the below link. For example brochures
may be purchased here as well as posters.
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