Greenstone by the ton

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 8

Greenstone by the ton

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By

RAY PIPER

Hokitika’s newest greenstone factory has on its premises a massive greenstone boulder weighing nearly four tons.

Greenstone boulders come heavier than that but the fame of this particular specimen lies in the fact that it consists of high quality usable greenstone right throughout, and it is known internationally. When you see the various processes involved in transforming the raw greenstone into delicate pieces of jewellery, I’m sure you will have a greater appreciation of the finished article. The giant, diamondedged saw which makes the initial cuts not only costs several hundred dollars, but is responsible for considerable wastage as it carves a path a quarter of an inch wide in the process of cutting the boulders into slabs of approximately quarter of an inch thick. On these slabs, patterns are traced and are cut to rough shape by another diamond saw of stngller diameter, but also very qostly.

The pieces of shaped stohe are too' small to be held securely and safely by

hand during the subsequent processes of grinding and buffing, so are fastened to a holding tool by a very strong adhesive. Once the stone is shaped as required, it is buffed to a high degree of polish and removed from the holding tool by 'a special chemical which dissolves the adhesive without affecting the sheen of the gem. Cuff-links, necklaces, ear-rings and other pieces have then to be matched for colour and texture. The factory, in Weld Street, Hokitika, has its own retail shop there displaying a wide array of its jewellery, as well as some interesting Maori artefacts reflecting the culture of earlier years. A contrasting plant is the N.Z. Cement Holdings mammoth undertaking at Westport. I had seen pictures of the factory before, but only close to it could I appreciate what a massive structure it really is. Cement manufacture may not sound a very interesting ! process, but when you see the sophisticated equipment- j and machinery involved in production on this scale you will take a different view. Standing at the foot of the giant chimney?, one feels completely dwarfed. The massive revolving st kilns reach a temperature of about 200 degrees Farenheit on the outside, and a searing 1400 degrees F inside—enough to make one meditate on the alternatives in after-life.