Author(s): Chris Fraser

NZ Nature

This book is a guide for those people who want to go out and collect New Zealand minerals. It will help you identify a lot of the minerals, which identification tests are the most useful, where to look for certain minerals, which minerals are common and which ones you are unlikely to find as good specimens. You will also learn about fluorescent minerals, gold, cleaning up and preserving specimens, carving and how to cut and polish some types of minerals. There is also a chapter on the history of the company that first started off the majority of rock and mineral clubs in New Zealand in the 1960's. Even though New Zealand minerals are not as large as some specimens found in other parts of the world, we still have some world class minerals, plus a handful of minerals that were first recognised in New Zealand. We are a relatively young country, created from the violence of volcanoes and earthquakes. The first chapter of this book is how the geology of New Zealand formed and how some of the rocks are related in their formation, which can help you in finding certain minerals you are after. There is also the possibility of finding new specimens not recognised in New Zealand, which still occurs today.