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Hi From Queenstown
Rockchip  
Posted : 15 years ago
Rockchip

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Location: Queenstown
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My name is Dave I am a semi retired jade carver, have been a rockhound and gem cutter from away back and love getting into the back country..My wife Judith & I had two shops in Queenstown selling opals,jade,pearls & jewellery for 22 years I bought a lot of local gold from the companys and local prospectors which we sold through the shops. Had those good years when it was all on and met lots of interesting wonderful people
Now kicking off golding as a hobby. Have a gp3000, a highbanker sluice box and some spots to go to,keen with a camera and love digging.
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gavin  
Posted : 15 years ago
gavin

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Hi Dave, great to see you on the forums :)

You certainly have good country down there to get into the hobby. Almost seems everywhere you go around there's some gold history. Planning on making a few mini-adventures down there myself when things get a little warmer.

I used to live in Queenstown for a year - sure wish I'd discovered the bug then rather than when I started living in Christchurch. Doh!

Gav :)
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Rockchip  
Posted : 15 years ago
Rockchip

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There is interesting places down here alright and the good thing is there is not too much gut busting tiger country.I have been told by the station owners the old miners knew there was gold above where they were working However because they could not get water to those areas made it impractical to sluice.So this has left the up-slopes suitable for detectoring.In the old rock hunting days I found some lovely petrified wood and other gemstone where the old guys had gone over. I am going back there after Winter take some photos and post a story.Interesting on the West coast and South Westland every where Greenstone,Jade, Pounamu is found there is gold in the gravels.Same in the Dart river at the head of the lake here.So far no jade has been found in Central Otago.Better add a little yet! to that.I would say to folk who read this it there is not only gold to be found,keep an eye on where your feet take you.Dave
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Jim  
Posted : 15 years ago
Jim

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Hi Dave,

Sure sounds like you have had quite a history with stones and precious gems and I look forward to reading about some of your missions in the future! You mentioned South Westland; have you ever come across people selling Rubys out of there; I remember reading a book with Arawata Bill in it; he was supposed to have found then lost a ruby mine somewhere over that way.

Jim
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gavin  
Posted : 15 years ago
gavin

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A ruby mine - intriguing! Just did a quick Google and for those others that may be intrigued also...

http://www.aa.co.nz/aadirections/features/Pages/Fiordlands-Rubies.aspx

http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/alt_essayBody.asp?essayID=3O5
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kiwijw  
Posted : 15 years ago
kiwijw

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Hi guys, I think you will find the "rubies" were garnets, a not gem cutting quality at that. NZ doesnt have cutting quality precious gemstones but has an asortment of semi-precoius gem stones.
Welcome to the site Rockchip. I have an interest in rocks & semi-precoius gemstones. Having lived in the Coromandel, I always come home from my gold fossicking expeditions with buckets of rocks. Jasper, opalised jasper, opalite, agate, quartz crystals, amethyst, carnelian chalcedony, kauri gum, petrified wood & obsidian.
Where abouts did you find petrified wood down here in Queenstown?
Yes the old miners needed water to work the ground for gold. If they new there was gold above where they were working they would go to great lengths to bring water to it. Often the gold bearing gravels were covered my meters of overburden that would have to be stripped away by the water to get at the gold. There wouldnt be many places where you could detect for gold that hasnt had the overburden stripped away by the old miners.

Happy hunting

JW :)
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criticol  
Posted : 15 years ago
criticol

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Hi John.

I seem to remember from somewhere in my past, that "Ruby" ground was discovered somewhere just south of Hokitika, in the back country.(possibly not gem quality,as it was in small chip form and in disscontinuous formations. But it was apparently in a "Genuine" Ruby producing ground where it was found.

Aside here: is Greenstone not classed as gem stone?

Cheers---Colin.
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Rockchip  
Posted : 15 years ago
Rockchip

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Hi Jim.I know nothing about anyone in South Westland selling ruby stone.There is a company in Hokitika who are selling Rubylite made up in doublet form as jewellery.I think the stone comes from the gold tailings at Kaniere.
Gavin has the answer your question concerning Arawatta Bill a legend from down south.
The story I heard was two miners found Gem ruby near the red hills.These were sold in Sydney,the two returned back to the bush but only one came out and without any ruby.
Hi kiwijw.Nice to know I am not the only one who enjoys collecting gemstones. The Coromandel is NZ`s gem city alright I used to swap jade for carnellian and agatised and opalised wood.
The Central Otago petrified wood is found in the Alexandra district. I found a nice patch near Lake Onslow as well as orthoquartside or sarson stone.There were some old workings there as well small and isolated but need a motorbike to get to them.and it is private land
The old timers must have liked the gin as we found square riggers scattered around the place laying on top of the ground as they left them .Liken had grown over some that`s how long they had been there so we brought them and a few clear hand made ones home as well.That would have been in the early 1970`s it was all open ground but I guess by now it will have been fenced and the briar could have taken hold It is an interesting drive from Roxbourgh to lake Onslow then through to Paerau, Patearoa to Ranfurly well worth a look.
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gavin  
Posted : 14 years ago
gavin

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On a similar thread...

Just came across "Goodletite" here's the story - http://www.nzrubyrock.com/hopsite/history/
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cavey  
Posted : 14 years ago
cavey

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Hi Dave

True what you say more than gold out there i live in mid canterbury no gold here but i enjoy getting out and walking the rivers looking for gemstones found a good spot the other day got a heap of nice agates new slip had come down was good fun wish there was gold here but the coast not to far away haha .

Rock on cavey
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