“ROCK HOUNDS” VISITING N.Z.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29017, 5 October 1959, Page 13

“ROCK HOUNDS” VISITING N.Z.

Gems Collected As Hobby (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 4. A party of 19 American and Canadian tourists—“sightseeing hobbyists”—arrived in Auckland yesterday. Known in their own countries as “rock hounds,” the tourists make a hobby of cutting, faceting, and fashioning rough gems. After visiting Australia, the tourists, led by Dr. Russell Boyd, a Toronto dentist, are in New Zealand for a three-day tour. Trips to Rotorua and to the Waitomo caves are their main objectives. During their stay in Australia, the party visited several opal and mineral mines. Dr. Boyd organises the supply of rough materials —opals, emeralds and other gems—to thousands of “rock hounds” in America and Canada. In those two countries, he said, there were thousands of clubs. “Even in Australia the hobby is growing,” he said. “Clubs are springing up rapidly in Sydney and Adelaide.” The hobby was a specialist one. People owned their own precision equipment and some fine work was turned out. Although there were many valuable collections, said Dr. Boyd, great wealth was not essential for the average collector. During its short stay, the party hopes to see something of New Zealand greenstone. This is seldom seen in Canada, and although Burmese jade is a similar substance, the New Zealand stone has “a great reputation.