Can I buy greenstone for myself, and can I wear greenstone if I am not Maori?

Ideally you are gifted a greenstone, rather than buying it for yourself. See if you can get someone else to do the buying on your behalf. You absolutely do not have to be Maori to wear it.

Does my piece of greenstone jewellery come with a certificate of authenticity?

Only our Ngai Tahu branded greenstone jewellery comes with a certificate of authenticity, providing you with details of the stone the item was carved from. Ngai Tahu are the kaitiaki of South Island greenstone, so all pounamu comes from them in the first instance. Carvers purchase the rock from them, and then carve it and supply us with the jewellery. From the carver through to us, we back the authenticity of the greenstone - we just don't supply a certificate.

Where does the pounamu come from?

The pounamu comes from the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, around the Hokitika area.

Ngai Tahu Pounamu Collection

Each piece in the Ngai Tahu Pounamu Collection comes with a certificate of authenticity from Ngai Tahu, the legal guardians (kaitiaki) of New Zealand's pounamu (greenstone). The certificate supplies you with details about the original piece of stone, and the carver.
In 1997 the government returned the ownership of all South Island pounamu to the Ngai Tahu tribe. They supply greenstone to carvers, and manage the resource.