WEST COAST GALLERY
PIHA

Established in 2001 by Ernesto Ovalle, Oronegro Jewellery Studio flourished out of Ernesto's need to create contemporary jewellery as he had in his homeland, Colombia. These skills were passed down to him by two previous generations in his family, who began training him at 13.


For several years Oronegro was based at the Aotea Square Market on Tāmaki Makaurau's (Auckland) Queen Street, where Ernesto experimented with a range of jewellery styles crafted in his home studio. Whanau has always been at the heart of Oronegro, beginning as a family business with the help of Ernesto's young children, Manuela and Sebastian, assisting with sales at the markets.

 

A few years later, Oronegro opened their first studio on Beresford Square, near Karangahape Road, where Ernesto and his crew began focusing on expanding their knowledge of the traditional methods of Pounamu Whakairo (Maori Greenstone carving).

Oronegro has been based on Karangahape Road for over 13 years, having moved from Beresford Square in 2018 to Maota Samoa House.