The Art of Nature: The Story Behind the Kōwhai Pendant
Among Aotearoa’s native flora, few flowers carry the quiet grace and golden radiance of the kōwhai. Its slender branches spill into cascades of yellow blooms, glowing like sunlight captured in motion. In Māori tradition, the kōwhai is more than a symbol of beauty, it marks the arrival of spring, renewal, and the promise of growth. It’s this natural and cultural poetry that Joanna Salmond has transformed into wearable art with the Kōwhai Pendant, available in both sterling silver and gold finish.
Where Nature Meets Craft
The pendant captures the kōwhai’s form with remarkable precision, each petal shaped to mirror the flower’s elegant droop and fluid lines. Crafted entirely by hand, the piece reflects Joanna’s signature approach: a blend of botanical observation and fine-jewellery discipline.
To design the pendant, Joanna studied the kōwhai in its natural state, how the petals twist slightly at rest, how light gathers on their smooth surfaces, and how the flower hangs like a small, deliberate gesture of welcome. This attention to form and texture allows the pendant to feel alive, as if it carries a moment of the New Zealand landscape within it.
Polished to a soft, radiant sheen, the sterling-silver version embodies quiet strength and timeless elegance, cool, versatile, and classic. The gold-finish pendant brings warmth and depth, echoing the sunlit hue of the real kōwhai flower.
The Meaning Within the Bloom
In te reo Māori, the kōwhai holds deep significance. It symbolises the changing of seasons, when the flower blooms, spring has truly arrived. Its golden tone is linked to sunlight, knowledge, and the life force of growth. For many, the kōwhai is also a symbol of resilience. Its roots run deep, surviving droughts and storms, and each spring it blooms again - a reminder of endurance and hope.
Wearing a kōwhai pendant is more than an aesthetic choice. It is an expression of identity, connection, and appreciation - a way of carrying a piece of Aotearoa close to the heart. In Joanna Salmond’s interpretation, the pendant becomes a link between nature and artistry, between tradition and modern design.
A Celebration of New Zealand Craftsmanship
Joanna Salmond Jewellery is known for meticulous, handcrafted designs that honour New Zealand’s natural world. Each piece is made with intention, not mass-produced, but individually formed by hand in sterling silver (925), ensuring both quality and longevity.
The Kōwhai Pendant continues that philosophy. Measuring approximately 5 centimetres in length and suspended from a 45 centimetre sterling-silver chain, it rests elegantly against the collarbone, drawing light with every movement. The pendant’s gentle curves and fine detailing reveal the time and care invested in its creation. Every surface bears the subtle marks of human touch, a reminder that true craftsmanship lies not only in perfection, but in presence.
Jewellery That Speaks of Place
Joanna’s work celebrates the connection between jewellery and landscape, how metal and form can carry the essence of a place. In her studio, design often begins with observation: watching how light moves across a petal, tracing the patterns of a shell, feeling the texture of leaves.
In the Kōwhai Pendant, this sensitivity to the natural world becomes tangible. The design does not attempt to idealise the flower; instead, it honours its real form. The pendant’s curves feel organic, flowing as the kōwhai itself does in the breeze. Whether in silver or gold, the piece holds a quiet strength, elegant, grounded, unmistakably New Zealand.
Timeless Style, Everyday Wear
Though inspired by the wild, the Kōwhai Pendant is designed for modern wear. Its refined silhouette pairs easily with both casual and formal looks. The silver variant adds understated polish to everyday outfits, while the gold finish radiates warmth for evenings and special occasions. Many choose to wear the pendant as a daily talisman - a small reminder of nature’s calm and constancy.
It also makes a meaningful gift: for birthdays, anniversaries, or milestones. Each piece carries a sense of story and place — the kind of beauty that transcends seasons and trends.
From the Workshop to Your Hands
Every Kōwhai Pendant is handcrafted in small numbers, ensuring each one receives the same care as the first. From the initial shaping of silver to the final polish, the process blends traditional metalsmithing techniques with a distinctly New Zealand sensibility.
Joanna describes the process as finding the balance between detail and simplicity, between what should shine and what should rest in shadow. The result is jewellery that feels timeless and personal.
Order Your Kōwhai Pendant
The Kōwhai Pendant is available in two finishes, each handcrafted and presented on a sterling-silver chain: