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Metal and gemstones were used in New Zealand studio jewellery which originated in European decorative traditions. During the 1970s, "the idea that value arises from precious materials rather than artistic intention and concept" emerged along with an international trend towards challenging jewellery's conventional association with wealth and status. In Aotearoa, Zealand, this meshed with a desire to create work that would assert a distinct New Zealand identity, and led to an interest in natural local materials such as stone, bone and shell.