Explore / Oceania / New Zealand
New Zealand, Southland
Orepuki
Gemstone Beach, Te Waewae Bay
Gem locality Source-confirmed findsLegal to collect
What you could find
Reported finds from this ground.
Crystals and minerals
Agates and jasper
GoldAlso reported: hydrogrossular, rare sapphire.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Stephanie Clifford from Arlington, VA, USA (CC BY 2.0), Teerui (Public domain), BLM Alaska (Public domain).
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Why this spot
Rockhounding locality: Southland surf beach fed by old gold-sluicing country, famous for garnet sand, quartz, jasper, hydrogrossular and the occasional reported sapphire and fine gold colour
Long-running named collector accounts and Southland tourism documentation of garnet, jasper and quartz finds, the beach is literally signposted Gemstone Beach
Before you go
Hazards noted for this site.
Heavy surf and ripsThe beach switches between sand and gravel with storms, watch the Waimeamea river mouth
Keep exploring nearby
More spots in this area.