The fieldstone in its natural habitat
And this is me, the guy who saw lemonade in a pile of lemons.
Or in my words, an author of physical poems. (Some metaphysical humor to lighten the mood.)
My name is Gerald and I founded this studio, also a Benefit Corporation, to sustainably share geology, support farmers, and explain the history of stone walls.
So what was this this about preserving stonewalls?
Back on track. Yes, well by the end of the 1800s, New York and New England had more miles of stonewalls than the miles from the earth to the moon, over 200,000 miles of them.
Hidden in the soil of ordinary farmers’ fields, now lie magical metamorphic rocks, like granite and marble, naturally melted by heat and pressure, and requiring relatively less energy to source than alternatives. And despite a seeming abundance of stone, some are quite special and rare, making them worthy of a special gift or to be collected. And the journey to my hands today though took millions of years to bear fruit.
American Stonecraft makes products for Serving, Cooking, and Decorating from the rocky farmland of New England.
Why? Because rocks rise to the surface, year after year. The farms also have infrastructure to pick up the rocks, and to retail the finished goods.
Hidden in the soil of ordinary farmers’ fields, lie magical metamorphic rocks, like granite and marble, naturally melted by heat and pressure, and requiring very little energy to pick up, move, cut, and polish, relative to human-made alternatives. Plus, although there are lots of ordinary boring rocks around, the beautiful ones we pick to work with are also rare finds, making them more special to give or collect.
This exotic geology was created by plate tectonics, the same force that created mountains and river valleys.
In a way, rivers are like upside down mountains, collecting water from above.
And my Lowell, MA studio is in the heart of the action. I caught the bug of hunting for beautiful stones hidden amongst farmland.
Each Listing is Unique, a 1 of 1
Now you too can join in my fun. No two are the same, each a work of art and a slice of nature. Live edges, organic shapes; just as the glaciers left them. My team of artisans use custom-made diamond hand tools to slice, sculpt, hone and polish the stones I hand select, now revealing their natural beauty. Each piece even labels where it came from on the bottom, along with a permanent serial number issued into my permanently archived records. A stone with artistic provenance.
Browse The ShopCOASTER
Subtle, honed, absorbent finish.
TRIVET
Subtle, honed, non-absorbent.
Charcuterie board
Cheese board, sushi platter, a surface for a hot dish or plant, the menu is long.
BOWLDER
On your kitchen table or your dressing table, a piece to treasure for generations.
COOKING STONE
Cook and sear safely on stone. For the grill or oven.
USE YOUR ROCK
Custom gift from a stone you pick.
COASTER
Subtle, honed, absorbent finish.
TRIVET
Subtle, honed, non-absorbent.
FOOD SLAB
Cheese board, sushi platter, a surface for a hot dish or plant, the menu is long.
BOWLDER
On your kitchen table or your dressing table, a piece to treasure for generations.
COOKING STONE
Cook and sear safely on stone. For the grill or oven.
USE YOUR ROCK
Custom gift from a stone you pick.