Make a Beautiful Statement with the Suffrage 125 Jewellery Collection

125 years ago, New Zealand women were vigorously campaigning to achieve the right to vote and would finally win that right in September of 1893.

The 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition is on display in a state-of-the-art conservation case to preserve the document for all New Zealanders as part of the permanent multi-award winning He Tohu exhibition at the National Library of New Zealand in Wellington. You can view this important document which represents a monumental part of New Zealand history.

As part of the celebrations 125 years on, Te Puna Foundation, the independent charity established to support the National Library, invited The Village Goldsmith to design a pin, pendant and earrings that pays tribute to these women.

Suffrage 125 silver & amethyst pin by The Village Goldsmith & Te Puna Foundation

Suffrage: A Brief History  

On 19 September 1893, after the suffragists submitted a petition with nearly 32,000 signatures, New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the vote. In most other democracies - including Britain and the United States - women did not get that right until after the First World War. Another major milestone was then achieved when New Zealand women voted for the first time in a general election on 28 November 1893.

Suffrage 125 amethyst pendant by The Village Goldsmith & Te Puna Foundation

He Tohu and Te Puna Foundation 

The 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition, fondly known as the 'Monster' petition, is on display as part of the permanent multi-award winning He Tohu exhibition at the National Library in Wellington. Proceeds from purchases of the Suffrage jewellery are being donated directly back to Te Puna Foundation which helps fund the brilliant work the National Library carries out.

By gifting to the Foundation, New Zealanders will enhance the National Library’s ability to share New Zealand’s unique stories and knowledge as well as continue to deliver excellent experiences, programmes and events that help New Zealanders to turn knowledge into value. Your gift will also assist Te Puna Foundation's Travel Fund for Schools which enables school aged children from all around New Zealand to participate in He Tohu's learning programme.

He Tohu waka huia treasure box Suffrage Petition
Credit: Jeff McEwan, Capture Studios

The White Camellia – A Symbol for Suffrage 125 

The white camellia features alongside Kate Sheppard, the leader of the Women's Suffrage movement on the New Zealand ten dollar note. The white camellia is seen as a symbol for women's suffrage. In 1893, the Electoral Bill passed through the House of Representatives, and white camellias were presented to Council members who supported the suffrage bill to wear in their buttonholes.

Suffrage 125 amethyst earrings by The Village Goldsmith & Te Puna Foundation

Designing and Crafting the Suffrage 125 Jewellery 

The team of designers and craftspeople at The Village Goldsmith took inspiration from the Suffrage 125 camellia symbol and interpreted this into sterling silver jewellery featuring purple amethyst gemstones. Purple is an important colour that represents dignity and self-respect.

The rippling lines of sterling silver were inspired by the camellia as well as the soul-stirring He Tohu exhibition's 'Waka Huia' treasure box in which the 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition is housed. The jewellery design allows light to pass through and bounce off the open folds of silver, reflecting the purple hues of the amethyst gemstone at the heart of these pieces.

This jewellery is in recognition of those women who fought so hard for the right to vote 125 years ago, as we all remember, celebrate and look to the future to continue to progress women’s rights here and around the world.

Suffrage 125 amethyst pendant by The Village Goldsmith & Te Puna Foundation

Make a Statement and Make it a Beautiful One

To wear this jewellery is to stand with the Suffragists and every woman and man campaigning for gender equality today. History has never been more now.

Proceeds from your purchase are donated to Te Puna Foundation's General Fund to support the National Library as they continue to share knowledge and preserve our heritage for future generations.

You can browse the collection below and buy your Suffrage 125 jewellery online and in-store.

The pin, pendant and earrings are available to purchase in-store and online at The National Library Store and The Village Goldsmith in Wellington.

Find out more about Te Puna Foundation 

Visit He Tohu at The National Library of New Zealand

Find out about more Suffrage 125 events

Suffrage 125 silver & amethyst pin by The Village Goldsmith & Te Puna Foundation

Whakamana Pōti 125

I ngā tau 125 o mua, ko tā te wahine o Aotearoa he pakanga ki te whai mana pōti. Tae rawa ake ki te tau 1893, i te marama o Mahuru, ka ea taua whakapau kaha.  

Kei te whakaaturia te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine 1893 i roto i tētahi kēhi hanga motuhakehia hei tiaki i te tuhinga mā te motu whānui. Koia nei tētahi wāhanga o te whakaaturanga pūmau He Tohu, he whakaaturanga whakawhiwhia ki ngā paraihe maha i Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Tirohia tēnei tuhinga whakahirahira e whakaatu ai tētahi wāhanga ahurei o te hītori o Aotearoa. 

Ko tētahi wāhanga o ngā whakanuitanga 125 ngā tau whai muri ake, he tono ki The Village Goldsmith ki te hoahoa i tētahi pine, mau kakī, me ētahi mau taringa hei whakapīwari e mihi nei ki aua wāhine. Nā Te Puna Foundation te tono - koia tētahi rōpū ohaoha mana motuhake i whakatūria ai hei rōpū tautoko i Te Puna Mātauranga. 

Whakamana Pōti: He Hītori Poto  

I te rā 19 o Mahuru 1893, whai muri atu i te tāpae petihana waitohu āhua 32,000 a taua rōpū whakamana pōti, ko Aotearoa te whenua mana motuhake tuatahi tonu o te ao ki te whakature i te mana pōti mā te wahine. I te nuinga o ngā manapori o te ao – tae atu ki Piritana me Amerika – kāore te wahine i whai mana pōti tae noa ki te mutunga o te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao. Nā reira ka whakanuia tētahi anō rā whakahirahira i te 28 o Te Whiringa-ā-Rangi 1893, te rā tuatahi tonu i pōti ai ngā wahine o Aotearoa i te pōti whānui.   

He Tohu me Te Puna Foundation 

Ko te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine 1893, e mōhio mākohatia ai hei petihana 'Taniwha', koia he wāhanga o te whakaaturanga pūmau He Tohu, he whakaaturanga whakawhiwhia ki ngā paraihe maha e tū ai i Te Puna Mātauranga i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Ko te rironga pūtea nā te hoko i aua whakapīwari Whakamana Pōti he tākoha tōtika ki te Puna Foundation hei tautoko i ngā mahi whakamīharo a Te Puna Mātauranga. 

Mā ngā koha a tēnā, a tēnā ki te Foundation, e pai ai te mahi aTe Puna Mātauranga arā ko te tuari mātauranga, te tiaki i ngā taonga tuku iho, te hanga i te hapori rīti pukapuka. Ko tō koha he tautoko i te Pūtea Haereerenga o Te Puna Foundation kia taea ai e ngā tamariki kura huri noa i te motu te uru atu ki te hōtaka ako o He Tohu. Ko tō koha he mea nui ki a mātou. Ka whakatauritehia ā-tāra e te Kāwanatanga te nui o te pūtea koha tae ake ki te $2 miriona. 

Te Kamīria Mā – Te Tohu Whakamana Pōti 125 

Ko te kamīria mā tētahi tohu pērā i a Kate Sheppard, te kaihautū o te rōpū Whakamana Pōti Wahine i runga i te tekau taara Aotearoa. Ko te kamīria mā he tohu whakamana pōti wahine. I te tau 1893, ka whakaturehia te Pire e te Whare Pāremata, ka whiwhi kamīria mā i ngā mema Kaunihera – nā rātou te pire i tautoko – hei whakamau i te puare pātene.   

He Hanga i ngā Taonga Whakamana Pōti 125 

I pīrangi ngā kaihoahoa me ngā kaitārai o The Village Goldsmith ki te whakahāngai i ngā whakapīwari ki te tohu kamīria o te Whakamana Pōti 125. Ka hangaia ki te hiriwa me ngā tioata waiporoporo. He tae whai mana te waiporoporo. He tae e whakaatu ai i te āhua rangatira, i te kiritau hoki.

Ko te āhua pūngarungaru o te hiriwa he mea hāngai ki te kamīria ka tahi, ki te waka huia whakaihiihi e pupuri ana i te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine 1893 i te whakaaturanga He Tohu, ka rua. Ka kuhu te hīnātore ki te whakapīwari, ka tūpana ki ngā pōkaitanga hiriwa, mā reira whakaataria ai ngā momo waiporoporo o te tioata kei te manawa o ia taonga.

Ko te wahine e mau nei ēnei taonga ka mau anō nei ko ia tētahi o aua wāhine i pakanga ai ki te whiwhi mana pōti i ngā tau 125 ki muri. Ka maumahara, ka whakanui, ka titiro whakamua ki te whakaūnga o ngā mōtika wahine i konei, arā i te ao whānui.

Ka hokona te pine, te mau kakī me ngā mau taringa ā-toa tūturu, ā-ipurangi, i te toa Puna Mātauranga, i The Village Goldsmith o Te Whanganui-a-Tara hoki.

Rapua he kōrero anō mō Te Puna Foundation 

Haere ki He Tohu i Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

Rapua he kōrero anō mō ngā mahi Te Whakamana Pōti 125

Te Puna Foundation and The Village Goldsmith
Suffrage 125 Symbol