Early 2024 Fossicking Trip – Part 4, Gemstone Beach and Vern’s Green Hydrogrossular Garnet, Sunday 18 February

I spent 3½ hours on Gemstone Beach this morning. I walked west along the Te Waewae Bay coast to just past the Waimeamea River. It was cloudy with a light breeze.

Looking west from Gemstone Beach this morning.

The waves have a lot of energy in them.

There are large areas of very tiny stones.

There are also large areas of larger stones.

The cliff in front of the old house has slowly been eroding. This photo was taken today.

A year ago when the cliff was less eroded.

I saw a lot less hydrogrossular garnets, no poppy jaspers, no sapphires, but I found a few interesting coloured and patterned stones for tumble polishing when I get back home in late March.

Interesting brecciated jasper, I think. It stood out brightly.

I really like the lace-like patterns in stones like this.

Amygdaloidal stone, I think. Really nice colours.

The tiny wavy white veins caught my eye.

More interesting colours.

The brown “spots” stand slightly higher than the white material here. One suggestion is that this could be a metamorphosed rhyolite.

In the carpark upon my return, I met with Vern and Maggie from Te Anau and the “New Zealand Lapidary, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils” Facebook Group. They had brought some of their gorgeous Gemstone Beach finds along to show me. A large deep-green hydrogrossular garnet found recently by Vern was especially noteworthy.

Vern’s gorgeous green hydrogrossular garnet.

I am glad I didn’t miss them, and their stones were excellent examples of what can be found on Gemstone Beach and nearby.

Part 5 in this Series, including an encounter with a young seal at a stormy Gemstone Beach, is here. The Series Index 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