About us
Kia ora and welcome.
We are Mia and Sara, a mother-daughter duo from the West Coast of Te Wai Pounamu, the South Island of New Zealand. We are second and third generation collectors and carvers of taonga, hand-crafted from the beautiful and precious stones found on our local beaches.
While many carvers exclusively work with pounamu or nephrite jade, we love to explore the many different minerals and ‘forgotten stones’ of our wild and wonderful coastline and frequently work with schist, serpentinite, greywacke, and jasper, as well as rarer varieties such as rhodonite and aotea. All of our stones are collected by hand on our journeys along the coastline and throughout the South Island.
Our story begins with stone - but it has become something deeper than we ever expected.
In 2026 I (Sara) began studying Te Reo Māori, thinking I was simply learning a language I had long felt drawn to. But while preparing my pepeha, something shifted.
I discovered that, through my grandfather, on my mum’s side, we whakapapa Māori to Ngāti Raukawa. Following that thread led me to stories, photographs, and whakapapa I had never known - a whole lineage that had quietly existed alongside me for 45 years.
And then something else fell into place.
For three generations - my grandfather, my mum, and now me - we have all been drawn to stone. To carving, shaping, and working with our hands in a way that feels instinctive.
What we once thought was simply a shared passion now feels like a deeper connection - a thread that has always been there.
Simply Stone began on the West Coast with Mia
Her father, Peter Tennant known as PT, was a highly respected pounamu carver from Greymouth. When he passed, his tools and stones were passed down to Mia, who taught herself to carve, guided by instinct and connection.
She began foraging her own stones - often overlooked pieces from her garden and nearby beaches. These became the foundation of Simply Stone.
Today, Mia continues to carve from her West Coast home, transforming raw materials into meaningful taonga and honouring the gifts of Papatūānuku.
Sara joined her mum in 2019, bringing the brand to life through photography, storytelling, and connection, while beginning her own journey into carving.Now based in Queenstown, she works from her home studio, deepening her connection to both the land and the craft.
This recent discovery of whakapapa has brought a new layer of meaning to everything we do - grounded in awe, gratitude, and a growing sense of responsibility to learn and honour it with care.
To our stone whānau - thank you for walking alongside us.
We are only just beginning, and if you feel drawn, we invite you to journey with us as we continue to uncover this story.
