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Story: Gemstones

Collecting stones, Granity

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Collecting stones, Granity

Stony beaches, where pebbles have been smoothed by wave action, are the best places to collect gemstones. The exposed stony beach around Granity, on the West Coast, contains a variety of rock types – including plenty of granite.

Using this item

Private collection

by Judith Nathan

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Jocelyn Thornton, Gemstones – New Zealand gemstones, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5109/collecting-stones-granity (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jocelyn Thornton, published 2 March 2009.