February-March 2022 Fossicking Trip: Stone of the Day #7, Jasper(?) from Gemstone Beach

I spent just over three hours on Gemstone Beach today, arriving at 9.30 am, one and a half hours after low tide. The day was sunny and warm. I walked northwestwards as far as the Waimeamea River mouth (see here for an outline of the beach’s geography). I picked up a wide range of stones including a couple of good hydrogrossular garnets and a handful of trace fossil stones. But in general there were very few garnets and trace fossil stones compared to some visits I have made in the past. There must have been some high seas over the past few months (the last time I was here was September 2021) as stones were piled up at the back of the beach, against the cliffs, more than usual.

I had great difficulty selected the Stone of the Day as there were some good candidates. I changed my mind at least three times. I finally settled on a stone about 3 cms long that I think could be a jasper. Though dark, its cream-coloured flashes caught my eye as I was returning to the carpark, spotting it about 300 metres from the end of my day’s fossick:

Stone #7

The other side is just as interesting:

The other side of Stone #7.

Gemstone Beach today:

Looking southeast from the carpark at Gemstone Beach.

Looking northwest from the carpark.

Gemstone Beach stones.

At the mouth of the Waimeamea River.

Six of the other stones I collected today:

Small stone.

Not a shiny stone, a little porous, may not take a polish.

Rhyolite.

Another small stone.

Stone with trace fossil trails/burrows.

The band towards the bottom caught my eye.

The next Post in the Series, on Stone #8, also from Gemstone Beach, is here. The first Post in this Series is here.

Author: tumblestoneblog

Retired Academic, male, living in the New Zealand countryside near Whanganui with his wife as well as Jasper the dog, Fluffy the cat, Dancer and Penny, the horses, and a shed half-full of stones. Email john.tumblestone@gmail.com. View all posts by tumblestoneblog