We stopped off at the capital of jade in NZ. There is a lot of politics going on regarding NZ jade at the moment. Some of the big companies have been abusing the local spiritual stone since European settlement. After talking to a few locals they recommended Steve who had lived in the region for decades. We got to make... More

This was by far the best activity I did on the South Island. Steve was great. I didn't think I could carve anything let a lone a Jade necklace. My friends were also a little scared but Steve was very understanding and taught us a lot of history and symbolism about the jade. He also helped make my piece look... More

We visited Steve's workshop for the day recently as a family activity - parents carved jade for the day and out daughters (10 and 11) carved bone jewellery. From the outset, Steve made us feel welcome and had us and the kids working with the carving tools almost immediately; he was attentive and was able to impart the necessary understanding... More

Went up the West Coast in August of 2007 and got rained off at the glaciers, so we headed for Hokitika. We found the number of Bonz N Stonz in the tourist information booklet and rang up to book for a day of jade carving as the bleak NZ winter blew. The owner, Steve was great. So laid back but... More

My daughter and I walked into Bonz and Stonz looking for a Jade keychain for my beloved BMW motorcycle. Now this was after checking out other countless Jade stores in Hokitika. My daughter was getting slightly perturbed with me, rolling eyes, etc... I was ready to settle for about anything at this point. This being my last resort til certain... More