Hei Tiki is a carved figure normally depicted in the abstract from of a human. The Hei Tiki is a talisman and is regarded as a good luck charm from an ancient era. One version of Māori mythology has Tiki as the first man in the Maori world with a belief that he descended from the stars. Other stories tell us that the Hei Tiki represents the unborn embryo.

The Hei Tiki with his head tilted represents thinking, his hands for strength, his mouth is a reference to comm nication, his loins correspond to fertility while his web styled feet suggesting a strong link to the sea.

Wearing this icon suggests the wearer has strength of character, clarity of thought, inner knowledge and loyalty. The circular mangōpare kōwhaiwhai design represents the hammerhead shark, a species that is very hard to dispatch and has become the symbol of bravery, strength and power.

The closed circle represents the circle of life, which has no beginning or end; it encompasses everything and everyone including the heavens (planets and stars).The heavens are said to contain the knowledge of our beginning. The three stripes with intricate spike patterns (taratara) are representative of the past, present and future.