I have written on this subject before, but of course I accidentally deleted it! So I've re-written it for all my crazy New Zealand crystal lovers! I hope you find this helpful.
Can you go Crystal Hunting in New Zealand?
As we know, Gemstones can be found all over the world. We are incredibly lucky to be able to experience such powerful crystals and energy through what the earth provides for us.
Crystals can even be found here in little New Zealand! We don’t have any extremely precious minerals like diamonds or emeralds, but we do have some gorgeous stones that are sacred to us and our communities.
Now, before I tell you about them, we need to talk. If you go out hunting for gemstones, it can be offensive to the land and our native cultures to remove the gemstones from their place. Without proper ceremony or giving back to the earth for what you take, it would be better to leave the gemstones where you found them. I do not know that ins and outs of what is culturally sensitive, but it would be safer to be respectful.
A quick side note, if you want to take a piece of nature home with you, spiritually it is good to ‘pay’ or give back for that. For example, when I go to the beach, I love collecting shells. However, I will not take them home from the beach without giving something in return. I often pick up litter, or meditate to say thank you to the earth, often both. Spirituality is about appreciating the human experience and the earth that we live on whilst maintaining upmost respect for it.
Also please remember that the ownership of Pounamu belongs to Ngāi Tahu, so it is illegal to collect any more Jade than you can carry by hand south of Nelson. Dan Hikuroa, earth system scientist and senior lecturer in Māori studies at the University of Auckland, pounamu is the fragments of Waitaiki, wife of the chieftain Tamaahua, who was kidnapped by the taniwha Poutini and metamorphosed into stone before her husband could rescue her. Pounamu can be found at the sites Poutini visited as he fled Tamaahua down the west coast of the South Island. (3).
What Crystals can be found in New Zealand?
Back on topic, these are some of the main crystals that can be found here in New Zealand.
- Quartz family; Amethysts and Agates.
- Jasper family.
- Gabbro.
- Obsidian.
- Peridotite.
- Garnets; Pink, Red or Yellow.
- Pounamu; also known as Greenstone, New Zealand Jade or Nephrite Jade. Serpentine.
- Goodletite.
- Kyanite.
How do you find Crystals?
Obviously this is not an easy feat. Crystals are rare enough as it is, but they have to go through a long process before they even end up in places where people can find them.
Most of our Crystals in New Zealand come from our greywackle mountain ranges. They break off of boulders and wash into rivers and streams that carry them to sea. The ocean breaks them up into smaller pieces, tumbling them into smooth stones which eventually get washed up on beaches.
What particular locations can you find Crystals in NZ?
- Granity, West Coast South Island.
- Birdlings Flat, Christchurch.
- Coromandel Peninsula.
Number 4 on our reference sheet has a very detailed account of locations within New Zealand and what you can find there. Make sure you visit that site and have a read.
This is also another incredibly useful resource, NZ Gemstones by Jocelyn Thornton. It is downloadable through this link.
References:
- https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/5113/rock-collecting-sites-in-new-zealand
- https://teara.govt.nz/en/gemstones
- https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/rock-hounds/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/7gzbvi/grow_your_rock_collection_summer_rock_hunting/ this is a great resource for more specific rock hunting locations within New Zealand.