Named for the chatoyant feathers of the shining cuckoo, pipiwharauroa is a term used to describe any shade of nephrite jade that demonstrates the silvery, moving light effect in the body of the stone known as chatoyancy. This pendant show this quality quite strongly, with its grey-green body tone crossed by a strong lightning-bolt-like chatoyant vein and silvery waves of chatoyancy that flow over the front and rear faces of the piece. The original stone was found in the Hokitika River.
 
Measuring in at a whopping 99mm long and 43mm wide at its widest point, this gigantic roimata sports a flat frontal face with a rounded bevel edge - a design that shows off its colours and patterns in striking fashion, like a painting in a frame. The rear is gently curved to rest comfortably in the cleft of the chest, and the suspension is by himotoshi or hidden hole, which ensures that the painting-like presentation of the pendant's face isn't interrupted by a suspension hole or by the cord.
 
This is a striking and dramatic piece suited to the lover of the large, or to the passionate collector who wants a statement piece that's striking and dramatic.