The Tide Drop — silver and paua shell jewellery from Aotearoa, blue-green iridescence catching the light. A considered NZ-made keepsake gift carrying connection to Aotearoa's coast, presented in an EMBER box.Silver teardrop earrings with paua shell inlay, blue-green iridescence catching warm light on dark timber.
The Tide Drop — silver and paua shell jewellery from Aotearoa, blue-green iridescence catching the light. A considered NZ-made keepsake gift carrying connection to Aotearoa's coast, presented in an EMBER box.
Silver teardrop earrings with paua shell inlay, blue-green iridescence catching warm light on dark timber.
embergifts

The Tide Drop

$55.00
🚚 Free NZ delivery over $180
🎁 Gift wrapping included
💳 Secure checkout
Quantity
Personal message for your story card
Order before 2pm for same-day dispatch
Free NZ delivery over $180
Gift packaging included
Same-day dispatch before 2pm
NZ owned & operated · Ships across Aotearoa
Why people choose this
• For the person who has everything — and for whom another thing isn't the answer.
• For the gift-giver who wants to say something real, without having to find the words.
• For the moment that needs to be marked — not with something forgettable, but with something considered.

Paua is found only in New Zealand waters. No two pieces carry the same colour. This one is yours alone.

The Tide Drop earrings are set in silver — a fine filigree overlay that holds the paua shell the way the coast holds light. Iridescent blue, green, pink and purple shift across the surface depending on the angle, the room, the moment. 2.3cm drop. Silver hooks. The kind of earring that people notice and ask about.

Paua is New Zealand's native abalone, found nowhere else in the world. Every piece is unique — the colours, the pattern, the depth. You cannot order two pairs that are identical. That is the nature of paua, and the reason it has been treasured in Aotearoa for centuries.

A gift with a story

The Tide Drop is a complete gift on its own. Add it to any EMBER ritual box and it becomes part of a larger story — arriving together, experienced together, kept together.

The Experience

These arrive in a matte charcoal EMBER box with a gold seal and a story card. The card carries the origin of the paua — where it comes from, what makes it irreplaceable, and why no two pieces will ever look the same. A gift that arrives already knowing its own story.

Good to know
✓ Paua shell · Silver setting and hooks
✓ Approximately 2.3cm / 7/8" drop length
✓ Hook style — suitable for pierced ears
✓ No two pairs are identical — colour variation is natural and intentional
✓ Arrives in a matte charcoal EMBER box with story card and gold seal
✓ NZ Owned & Operated · Ships from Aotearoa
The Story Card
Every EMBER box includes a beautifully printed story card — the origin, the maker, the ritual. A letter, not a receipt.
The Tide Drop
The Tide Drop $55.00
Questions answered

Frequently asked about this gift

What does pounamu mean as a gift in New Zealand?

Pounamu (greenstone) is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give in Aotearoa. In Māori tradition, pounamu is gifted rather than bought for oneself — the act of receiving it from another person is what gives the stone its mana. EMBER pounamu jewellery is sourced from Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) and arrives with a story card explaining its whakapapa.

Is pounamu a good gift in NZ?

Pounamu is the most enduring gift available in Aotearoa — a piece of jade that formed over millions of years, given to mark a moment that matters. It is particularly suited to milestones such as birthdays, graduations, retirements, to people leaving New Zealand, and to anyone who values cultural depth over generic gifting.

What is a considered NZ-made gift with cultural meaning?

EMBER’s Objects That Remain collection — pounamu, paua, and bone pieces — are considered NZ-made gifts with cultural integrity. Each piece is shaped in traditional forms (the koru, the hook, the returning spiral) and arrives in a matte charcoal box with a story card naming the material, origin, and what it holds.

What is a good gift for someone special in New Zealand?

For someone special, choose a gift that won’t be consumed and forgotten. A pounamu pendant from EMBER’s Objects That Remain collection is something the recipient will reach for daily — worn for presence, not decoration. Each piece carries cultural weight rooted in Aotearoa.
Customer Reviews

The warmth, in their words

4.9
★★★★★
2,500+ verified NZ reviews
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
"Beautifully presented and the story card adds something no other gift box has. The recipient said it was the most considered gift she'd ever opened."
Rachel K.
Auckland
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
"Everything about EMBER is intentional — the packaging, the items, the card. Sent one to my mum overseas and she rang me in tears. NZ-made gifting at its best."
Ben J.
Wellington
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
"Beautifully done. The story card on the back of the print made my partner cry. This isn't a gift — it's a moment held."
Mia L.
Christchurch
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