United States Australia Brazil Canada Germany India Ireland Japan Mexico New Zealand Philippines South Africa United Kingdom
Rare Stones of Aotearoa podcast artwork
Science

Rare Stones of Aotearoa

by Rare Stones of Aotearoa
Earth SciencesScience
Is this your show? Claim it
Listen on Apple PodcastsRSS feed

Recently ranked · United States

Last recorded placements from this show’s chart history. These are not current rankings.

Not on the United States charts we track today.

If you like Rare Stones of Aotearoa, try…

Latest episodes

  • Hydrogrossular: New Zealand’s Hidden Garnets

    October 11, 2026 · 34 min

    Hydrogrossular garnet is one of New Zealand’s lesser-known geological treasures, found within the unusual calcium-rich rock known as rodingite. This episode explores the geology, discoveries and collecting history of New Zealand…

  • Gold: The Rushes That Shaped New Zealand

    October 8, 2026 · 1 hr 26 min

    Gold changed New Zealand. In this episode of Rare Stones of Aotearoa, we follow the discoveries, rushes and people that transformed the country during the nineteenth-century search for gold, from Otago and the West Coast to the Coromandel…

  • Amazonite: The West Coast’s Forgotten Stone

    October 7, 2026 · 20 min

    Can amazonite really be found in New Zealand? A blue-green specimen in a university collection and a modern find in a West Coast river offer clues to a little known story. In this episode of Rare Stones of Aotearoa, we explore the evidence…

  • Sapphire: A Trail of Blue

    September 22, 2026 · 26 min

    Sapphires are rarely associated with New Zealand, yet scattered discoveries from Southland to Nelson tell a remarkable and little-known story. This episode follows the sapphires of Orepuki and Richmond Flat, the people who first recorded…

  • Bowenite: The Long Journey for Tangiwai

    September 21, 2026 · 53 min

    Bowenite, known in Aotearoa as tangiwai, has a history that reaches far beyond geology. Found in the remote country around Piopiotahi Milford Sound and the Hollyford region, it was travelled for, traded and treasured long before European…

Show 3 more episodesShow fewer episodes

  • Obay: The Colours of Golden Bay

    September 18, 2026 · 33 min

    In the mountains and valleys of Golden Bay, unusual coloured stones have been noticed, collected and valued for generations. Follow the stories, old reports and geological clues that lead to Obay polychrome schist and discover how bands of…

  • Aotea: The Stone That Kept Its Name

    September 18, 2026 · 34 min

    In 1906, visitors to New Zealand’s West Coast encountered a striking green stone and confidently called it malachite. Others later called it amazonite. Neither name was right. Follow the old newspaper reports, river valleys and geological…

  • Goodletite: The Hunt for Ruby Rock

    September 17, 2026 · 34 min

    In 1891, a miner on New Zealand’s West Coast pointed out an unusually hard boulder. Inside were rubies, the beginning of a geological mystery that has lasted more than a century. Follow the miners, geologists and scientists who tried to…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

Rare Stones of Aotearoa explores the geology, history and enduring mysteries behind some of New Zealand’s most unusual stones. From Goodletite and Aotea Stone to rare sapphires, fuchsite, polychrome schist and fluorescent rocks, each episode follows the evidence through old reports, museum specimens, scientific research and the landscapes where these stones were found. It is a podcast about remarkable rocks, the people who discovered and studied them, and the questions that still remain unanswered. Explore the research, sources and stone guides: https://rarestonesofaotearoa.com/