Garth Wilson

Garth Wilson Jade is the studio and gallery of pounamu carver Garth Wilson, on Rutherglen Road in Paroa just south of Greymouth, on the road to Shantytown. Garth descends from Ngāti Māhaki and Ngāti Waewae, two of the West Coast tribes who were the original traders of pounamu, and his family’s connection to carving the stone goes back generations.

Through these family connections, Garth has customary rights to gather pounamu from West Coast rivers and mountainsides himself. He hand draws each design and personally carves every pendant, sculpture and piece of jewellery in his workshop. His work includes pieces in Marsden flower jade (putiputi pounamu), gathered in the Marsden Valley near Paroa, as well as stone from South Westland and other parts of the Coast.

Visitors can watch Garth at work, handle raw stones his whānau have found over the years, and learn the history of pounamu on the West Coast and the meanings behind the designs, including how to gift pounamu in the traditional way. Garth and his wife Jo also take on commissions and can personalise a piece to reflect a family’s own story. Pendants come on strong plaited cords made to be worn all the time, even in water, and work can also be bought through the online shop.