New Zealand Ruby Rock

New Zealand Ruby Rock, also known as Goodletite, was first discovered in 1890s by gold miners in Southern Alps of New Zealand during the gold rush years.

When first discovered, the goldminers did not pay too much attention to the unusually hard boulders and were taken aside for examination at a later stage.

Around that time Mr Goodlett, from Otago University, made a visit to a local school in Hokitika, and was subsequently shown one of these unusual stones.

Goodlett took a chip of one the stones as a sample back to Professor Ulrich in Dunedin, who tested the rock and published what he found in the Institute of Mining Journal under the title 'On The Discovery of Oriental Ruby: in the Province of Westland, New Zealand'.

This conclusion and the article created a 'mini ruby rush' to the West Coast of the Southern Island of New Zealand, but sadly, little was found except for the rare boulder scattered throughout the area.

The rock was named 'Goodletite' after Mr Goodlett, but is now widely also known as New Zealand Ruby Rock.

Most rocks found are composed with a ruby/sapphire rich core, which ranges from colourless to deep ruby red carmine and pale blue to dark blue-violet. This core is intervowen with dark green margarite and surrounded with emerald green muscovite, which in turn is enveloped by a zone of grey green chlorite.

Large crystals of black tourmaline occur within the muscovite and margarite matrix.


From New Zealand Ruby Rock page to Internet Cafe Guide index