Gems
The mural-splashed Oranjestad gift shop where Statia souvenirs meet the island's best paper-clip aisle
Why Go
On a rock this small, one storefront usually has to do the work of five. Gems is that storefront — a candy-colored Caribbean cottage on Fort Oranjestraat where a honeymooning diver picking up a sun hat rubs shoulders with the accountant next door restocking on legal pads.
The Experience
You spot it before you read the sign: the little Caribbean-style building across from the bank is covered in hand-painted murals, and the front door is usually propped open to the trade winds. Step inside and the space unfolds like a well-edited attic — a wall of straw sun hats and locally made trinkets on one side, a rack of handbags and a glass case of perfumes and candles in the middle, and, improbably but delightfully, a full office-supply aisle in the back. Owner Gerald or one of his team will look up from behind the counter, ask where you're staying, and if you mention you're only here two days they'll steer you straight to the Statia-made items rather than the generic Caribbean stuff. It's less a shopping trip than a stop-in — the kind of place where you come for a postcard and leave twenty minutes later with a candle, a conversation about the best snorkel spot, and a printer cartridge you didn't know you needed.
What to Try
Head for the locally made products first — the small-batch candles and Statia-branded pieces are the souvenirs that actually feel like the island, not like a cruise-port table in St. Maarten. The wide-brim sun hats are genuinely useful for a day at Baby Beach or a hike up the Quill, and the perfume selection is quietly better than you'd expect for a shop this size. If you're staying in a self-catering apartment and forgot a notebook, phone charger cable, or basic supplies, this is the one place in town that reliably has them.
Insider Tip
Gems keeps banker's hours — Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:30, and that's it. Statia essentially closes on weekends, so if you're flying in Friday night and out Sunday, do your souvenir run first thing Friday morning or you'll be leaving empty-handed. Also: they take the 'office supply' side of the business seriously, so if you're a remote worker who blew a laptop charger or need a real pen and notebook, skip the guesswork and come straight here.
The Practical Stuff
Address: #13 Fort Oranjestraat, Oranjestad, St. Eustatius — directly across from the bank in the upper town, an easy walk from anywhere in Oranjestad. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM; closed weekends. Phone: +599 318 2030. Email: sales@gem-enterprises.com. Cash and card generally accepted; USD is the local currency. No parking hassle — the whole upper town is a five-minute stroll end to end.
Pair It With
- Baby Beach Guide — Grab a sun hat and a bottle of water from Gems, then head down to Statia's mellowest stretch of sand for a swim — it's the natural half-day pairing with a morning shop stop.
- Bacchanalia Guide — After a Fort Oranjestraat browse, walk over for lunch or dinner at one of Oranjestad's go-to restaurants — both are in the same compact upper-town cluster.
- Alvin V. Courtar Park — A short stroll away, the park is a good spot to sit on a bench, sort through your Gems haul, and watch Oranjestad life go by before your next stop.
- Aquarium Dive Site — Divers heading out to Statia's marine park often swing by Gems first for last-minute sun protection, a dry-bag notebook, or a small gift to bring back to the dive-boat crew.
