This David Taylor Whale Bone Hei Matau Necklace is definitely a one-off piece.  The necklace was made from a piece of whale bone David found on Ripiro Beach, west of here. 

I'm tempted to keep the piece for myself, for it is a beauty.  But I have plenty of jewellery, really, so I'm letting you have the opportunity to own such a rare piece.   Finding a piece of whale bone on a beach is relatively rare, so do grab the opportunity to own this while you can. 

The icing on the cake is that David Taylor carved the necklace.  David is a hugely talented local Maori bone carver.  His carvings are always beautifully designed and detailed.

The whale bone Hei Matau measures approximately 2 1/8" (5.5cm) long.  It is beautifully carved, and greatly enhanced by a piece of New Zealand Paua Shell around the hole near the lower edge. 

Our photo does not do the piece justice.  The front of the carving is not as white as the photo seems to show, but rather a natural creamy colour with the striations you see in whale bone.  On the back the striations and colour are more distinct, as you can see in the photo below.

Grab this whale bone necklace while you can, and keep it to be a future family heirloom.