Natalia Seliutina, a PhD candidate, has traced pounamu across three continents to understand its remarkable durability. Her path led from the freezing conditions of Siberia to the carving studios of Ōtepoti (Dunedin) and finally to particle accelerators in Taiwan, where she analysed the gemstone's internal structure.
Pounamu, a form of New Zealand greenstone, is known for being one of the toughest natural materials on Earth. Seliutina's research focuses on what gives it this exceptional resistance to breaking or wearing down, a property that has made it valuable both in traditional carving and in modern engineering contexts.
The potential payoff extends beyond Earth. Because pounamu's toughness could be relevant to materials used in space exploration, the research may help design components that withstand extreme stress and temperature changes. The single source reports this connection as a promising avenue, though it does not specify any concrete space mission or prototype yet.