These two rocks were found in my grandfathers collection when he passed away. He was well known for traveling all over the backcountry of the South Island and exploring for gold and other things when he was not working on the hasst pass in the 1930s I’ve been meaning to look into them for sometime any ideas what they might be.
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If you hold them up to a light are they slightly transparent? If so, they maybe Garnet.
Not just purple beach glass, rather than being a stone?
Yes they are a wee bit transparent
Looks natural to me rather than glass they were in there own we bottle along with some gold samples
They look too good to be garnet but they may be. The small one almost looks ‘rubyish’ so you never know. Take them to a jeweler and get him to examine them.
He might he able to identify them. If so would love to know the verdict
Hi lammerlaw I must get on to it because he was very good mates with Arawata bill that’s what has got me thinking as I’m sure you know how the story goes
Well that makes the story even more interesting do please keep us informed of the advice your given as it would be interesting to know.
Yes I must look in to it I might go see someone this week any one in Dunedin you would recommend
Dunedin is even better - go to the university geology department - if it was ruby then they might be VERY interested. Other than that a manufacturing jeweller would be ok. One of them whom I will not name here is a total rogue and a nasty natured bit of goods so be careful who you deal with and do not let them keep your samples or talk you out of them.
In Dunedin the Geology department is the gospel!
Sweet I will take it in if I get a chance I hope it’s not glass but time will tell grandad had alsorts of rocks but he also liked to have people on about things so this could be some kind of joke he had going on we will see
It is possible that it is glass and indeed does look like it could be when you expend the photo but red glass is pretty scarce andit is tumbled or river worn so who knows - hey I am curious - I want to know!
Arawhata Bill & the lost ruby mine. Then there is the Frenchman’s Gold. It isn’t up the Cascade. 
JW
Yes I have an old news papper clipping about it somewhere here is my grandfather and arawata in Queenstown and a letter to him when he was over hast way they spent a lot of time together
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There is a small chance it could be amethyst.
There would be a few people very interested in that photo and associated details steptoeandson. Theres not a lot of good photos of AB.
Good luck with your results.
HH
Yes the guy that wrote the book about him got some info off me years ago I have four original photos of him and about five or six letters to my grandfather I wish I could have talked to him more about it but he passed away in 1998 when I was 12 he definitely took some secrets to the grave
Hi Steptoandson, I’m a Geologist who studied at Otago Uni, Feel free to bring them into our office at 93 Harrow Street. We have a portable XRF here that we can use to determine what mineral it is
Thank Snuggie town that would be great I will try get down this week if that’s ok
Sure, im in the office all this week so drop in anytime