Woman Stunned By Valuation Of Rare Māori Jade Hei-Tiki Found In Her Garden

February 17, 2026

Decades ago, a woman was pulling weeds in her garden when she noticed something unusual buried in the soil—a small cloth bag. Curious, she opened it and found what looked like nothing more than a piece of green rock. At least, that’s what she thought at the time.

She kept it for years before eventually deciding to have it examined.

When appraiser Ronnie Archer-Morgan took a look, he quickly realized it was far from an ordinary stone. The piece was a Māori hei-tiki, a traditional pendant worn as a necklace, believed to represent either an ancestor or the goddess of childbirth.

The carving was made of jade, a very hard material that is highly prized in New Zealand. Because jade is so difficult to shape, creating pieces like this required extraordinary skill and patience, often taking a long time to complete.

Based on its craftsmanship, the expert estimated the hei-tiki was made in the 17th century—and said it was the finest example he had ever seen.

The homeowner later noted that her house was built in the 1600s, making the discovery feel a little less mysterious and a lot more remarkable.