These brooches by New Zeland jeweler Craig McIntosh are hand carved and fabricated from Pakohe (argillite). A highly indurated sedimentary rock, hardened through intense compression and heat, Pakohe is often described as “basement rock,” as it literally represents the material New Zealand is built from and upon. Calling to mind visions of topographical maps and aerial nature photographs, McIntosh’s process channels the aesthetic and symbolic implications of his material, resulting in fractured, layered, and laminated compositions.
