Exclusive jewellery for jaded tastes

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 25

Exclusive jewellery for jaded tastes

Queenstown now has a shop that offers the largest selection of original jade carvings in New Zealand.''-,' - Established by a former Southland farmer, Dave Cleghorn, and a young West Coast designercarver, Des Hetherington, Queenstown Jade Products is situated in a new building running from Shotover Street to Beach Street almost next to the Travelodge Hotel. The men work with only the highest quality of jade obtained from their own sources on the West Coast. Their products range from inexpensive pendants to, exquisitely carved figurines with price tags between S5OO and $9OO. Most of the work is- designed by Mr Hetherington who began his career with a jade company in Hokitika. Using diamond-tipped drills, Mr Hetherington utilises a deep carving style and many of his figurines represent a total of four or five days work. Mr Cleghorn is also an experienced carver having worked with jade for a number of years as a sideline'to his farming activities at Nightcaps. He considers himself fortunate that he has been able to

establish a reliable .supply of top quality jade from, • the West Coast. - > In' addition to . their ex-' tensive range of-fine' carvings and pendants, the partners offer for sale the work of part-time carvers. They have also found demand from .rock-hounds for ofi-cuts of jade which they sell for a dollar or two.