Another brooch, another id required, please

[jillyjim]

Hello.
We welcome all comments on this brooch and need an id of the mark, please.
Thank you.
Jill

[dragonflywink]

Sterling and paua (abalone) by New Zealand maker Ataahua.

~Cheryl

[jillyjim]

Ta muchly, Cheryl.
We are grateful for and amazed at the endless knowledge of this board's contributors!
Just one more question if you all don't mind please.
If you have any background information on this maker we'd love to know about it. We've never heard of him or her.
Jill

[dragonflywink]

I had a piece in the original box with wording to indicate it was a souvenir, from the general appearance, would guess it dated from around the 1970s, give or take a few years. No idea if they're still in business, all that I've seen have included paua shell and seem to be rather nice quality gift shop type items - a commercial enterprise rather than a silversmith. Can't really tell you any more.

~Cheryl

[jillyjim]

Yes I tend to agree with you, Cheryl judging by what I found on the Net. I did also find a reference that claims "Ataahua" means "beautiful" in Maori.
Thank you for your generous assistance.
Jill