The Stone Studio

In a soft sea green building on Stanley Road in Gisborne, the soothing sound of rolling waves in the distance sets the scene for exploring some of Aotearoa’s greatest natural treasures. The Stone Studio was formed in 1997 by Sandra and Ewan Parker and has been providing a special destination for visitors to discover unique pounamu carvings and Aotearoa gifts since. 

A long window along the back of the store offers a fascinating view into the workshop action, where you’ll spot Ewan and his son Guy surrounded by colossal blocks of pounamu which they hand carve into one-of-a-kind treasures. Ewan has been carving for several decades now and exclusively uses nephrite jade stone, establishing The Stone Studio as one of the most celebrated carving businesses in the land. While the focus is still strongly on pounamu, intricate laser cut designs are a recent addition to the craftsmanship taking place in the studio. A huge amount of time, skill and respect goes into producing each piece, resulting in incredible detail and clean shapes.

A huge range of these greenstone creations can be found in glass cabinets all around the shop floor. The nature of this material is that no two designs are ever the same, making it a unique and everlasting gift for someone special. For an extra personal touch, The Stone Studio also accepts commissions.

In amongst the polished stone, the store is brimming with New Zealand-themed goods and souvenirs, from te reo books for children and soft baby toys to colourful homewares, delicate windchimes, crystals and baskets of tumble polished greenstone and paua to inspire your own creative work. A cabinet filled with irresistible homemade fudge sweetens up the front corner of The Stone Studio, with a range of classic and fun flavours, from Tiramisu to Chocky Fish (one taste and we can promise you’ll be going home with a rather heavy box).