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GEMSTONE MINING |
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GEMSTONE MINING |
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GEMSTONE MINING
Hey Kids! How would you like to drive a machine like this? It’s the biggest underground loader in NZ. I used to operate these machines for about 10 years in Western Australia and Northern Territory underground, to a depth of around 685 meters (2247 feet). I used to dig out gold ore and even video remote these great machines to retrieve the gold ore from huge stoppes (huge underground holes).
Dinosaur Darren loading 40 tonnes of gold ore (that’s gold bearing rock). It sure was amazing to
see that they could get gold from a rock as dull looking as what I’m loading into the truck.
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Now, while Dinosaurs Rock NZ can’t promise you real gold, we’ve taken all the hard yaka (work) out
of mining, so you too can become a miner and experience the thrill of discovering real gems and minerals like, beautiful Amethyst, Citrine, Pyrite-(Fools Gold) Rough quartz, crystals & polished agates.
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Jurassic Jackie & Year 12 & 13 students in the far north- Kaitaia -gold panning for gems & minerals
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Dinosaur Darren helping a school student in the Wairarapa – Masterton crack open a genuine volcanic geode to reveal the beautiful crystals which have been hidden inside for thousands of years!
Even the teachers love to have a go cracking open crystal filled geodes
Once students have been through a Dinosaurs Rock event they not only appreciate the
wider world around them, but also what’s under them.
Inquiries or contact us Mobile 0212-11-3570
E-mail us at: info@dinosaursrocknz.com
“Gemstone mining” a great way to introduce the world of Geology
to your school students!
 Amethyst Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive. The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek and means "not drunken." This was maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades. |
 Citrine Citrine is a beautiful yellow stone. Named from the French name for lemon, "citron," many citrines have a juicy lemon color. Like amethyst, citrine is a gem variety of quartz. The gem's varying yellow color comes from trace elements of iron. It is a popular less expensive alternative to the much more expensive yellow sapphire or yellow diamond. To create wonderful multi-colored jewelry, it is often combined with other stones such as: peridot, amethyst, and garnet. November Birthstone. |
 Hematite
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 Kyanite Kyanite is a polymorph with two other minerals; andalusite and sillimanite. A polymorph is a mineral that shares the same chemistry but a different crystal structure with another, or other, minerals. Kyanite is an attractive mineral that has a near sapphire like blue color in some especially nice specimens. Kyanite has a unique characteristic in that it has a wide variation in hardness, in the same crystal. The hardness of kyanite is approximately 4.5 when scratched parallel to the long axis of the crystal and approximately 6.5 when scratched perpendicular to or across the long axis. Other minerals usually have variable hardness on different crystal faces due to a different concentration and oreintation of the atoms in the structure. Diamond is one such mineral, a fact gem cutters take advantage of often. |
 Pyrite Pyrite is the classic "Fool's Gold". There are other shiny brassy yellow minerals, but pyrite is by far the most common and the most often mistaken for gold. Whether it is the golden look or something else, pyrite is a favorite among rock collectors. It can have a beautiful luster and interesting crystals. It is so common in the earth's crust that it is found in almost every possible environment, hence it has a vast number of forms and varietie |
 Quartz Quartz is the most common mineral on the face of the Earth. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is at least a component of almost every rock type. It frequently is the primary mineral, >98%. It is also the most varied in terms of varieties, colors and forms. This variety comes about because of the abundance and widespread distribution of quartz. A collector could easily have hundreds of quartz specimens and not have two that are the same due to the many broad categories. |
Inquiries or contact us Mobile 0212-11-3570
E-mail us at:
info@dinosaursrocknz.com
Dinosaurs New Zealand Ltd in Association with
Dinosaurs Rock in the USA.
www.DinosaursRock.com
