Tahutahi pounamu is only found in the Cascade Plateau, south of Haast, and has never been sold legally on the market before.
Known for its vibrant green colour with white flecks, it is extremely rare. Tahutahi was previously referred to by some as ‘snowflake'.
Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick said the public sale was momentous for both Ngāti Māhaki and Ngāi Tahu.
"Tahutahi is a special taonga for our people and we're looking forward to sharing it authentically for the first time through our Westland Greenstone store in Hokitika.
"This rare pounamu is highly sought after."
Earlier this year, Tahutahi pendants were given by Ngāi Tahu to New Zealand's Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and a custom set was given to the Maori Queen, Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po, during her first official South Island visit.
West Coast history is steeped in pounamu, but it has been marred in recent years by large-scale thefts and the black-market trading of illegally sourced Tahutahi.
"Tahutahi is prized for its beauty and rarity, and unfortunately that has made it a target for illegal trade," Mr Madgwick said.
Following prosecutions in the early 2000s, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu acquired stolen raw Tahutahi pounamu and carved taonga. Some of the taonga available for purchase are repatriated and man-restored pieces that were recovered through this process.
After carrying the pain of these thefts for two decades, Mr Madgwick said it was a big step to finally be able to honour the mana of their pounamu taonga.
The Crown's rights to pounamu in the takiwā of Ngāi Tahu were officially returned to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu in 1997 through the Ngāi Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act.
He said it was easy to check if pounamu was being sold authentically through the Ngāi Tahu Pounamu authentication scheme.
At present, Westland Greenstone is the only place selling authentic Tahutahi in-store and it is not available online.
Ngati Mahaki hope to make it available for sale at other Ngāi Tahu businesses next year. — Greymouth Star
