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Schist is formed when a parent lava, sandstone, siltstone or mudstone is squashed and flattened by pressure and heat creating its characteristic layered appearance. It is common throughout Otago where it dominates the rocky landscape, and is used in buildings, decorative walls and fireplaces.Metamor...

Quartzite is a dense and durable rock largely consisting of the mineral quartz. It has many aesthetic and practical uses, e.g. in jewellery and 'shingle' paving.Metamorphic: Made from sandstone, where the original quartz grains recrystallise and fuse togetherSource location: Westland.Sizes: Choose f...

A fine-grained rock that splits into thin, flat sheets. It is frequently seen on the roofs of historic buildings because of its durability and resistance to moisture. Metamorphic: Formed from the compression and metamorphism of shale or mudstone.Source location: Westland and Marlborough.Sizes: Choos...

Chalk is a soft, white, rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate minerals. It is a specific type of limestone characterised by its softness and the presence of finely grained, microscopically sized shells.Sedimentary: Formed from the accumulation of microscopic marine fossils such as foraminifera a...

Basalt is a fine-grained, hard, dense rock. The most common rock on the Earth, Moon and Mars and it has erupted from volcanoes scattered throughout New Zealand. Igneous: Rock formed from lava flows (therefore technically a 'volcanic igneous' rock).Source location: Canterbury.Sizes: Choose from dropd...

primarily composed of calcium carbonate and has many uses in NZ, for example in fertiliser production and 'shingle' paving. Sedimentary: Forms from accumulated shell, corals and other organic sediments (therefore technically an 'organic sedimentary' rock).Source location: Canterbury.Sizes: Choose fr...

Granite is a coarse-grained durable rock with a crystalline structure. It has many aesthetic and practical uses, e.g. for monuments, gravestones and kitchen bench tops. Igneous: Formed from molten magma cooling and solidifying while deep underground (therefore a 'plutonic igneous' rock).Source locat...

Chert is a microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline rock composed mainly of silica in the form of chalcedony. It forms very sharp edged flakes when struck by another rock. Darker forms are called flint.Sedimentary: Forms as nodules or layers within other sedimentary rocks due to the accumulation of the...

Marble is an attractive rock with a crystalline structure having many decorative and structural uses, e.g. on walls, floors and staircases within New Zealand's Parliament House. Surface oxidation colour varies (see pictures). Metamorphic: Formed from the recrystallisation of limestone or dolomite.So...

consists of highly porous, bubbly volcanic glass. The gas bubbles (frothy texture) makes the rock lightweight. It will float on water for some time.Igneous: Produced when erupting magma is charged with gases (thus technically a volcanic igneous rock).Source location: Waikato.Sizes: Choose from dropd...

Chalk is a soft, white, rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate minerals. Specimens are rounded by physical weathering. It is a specific type of limestone characterised by its softness and the presence of finely grained, microscopically sized shells.The smooth surfaces make rounded rocks especiall...

Mica mineral forming thin, flat sheets embedded in quartzite rock.Type: Quartzite is a metamorphic rock. mica is a mineral.Source location: Westland.Sizes: Choose from dropdown menu either Shelf specimen (300–800g), or Hand specimen (150-300g).Note: Images are examples of specimens only. Sizes and...

Granite is a coarse-grained durable rock with a crystalline structure. Rounded by physical weathering processes. It has many aesthetic and practical uses, e.g. for monuments, gravestones and kitchen bench tops.The smooth surfaces make rounded rocks especially suitable for scratch tests to determine ...

A very common grey or greenish rock made of sand-sized grains and rock fragments. This rock could be considered the foundation of New Zealand (and the continent of Zealandia). It formed from material deposited in the sea off the eastern shores of 'Australia' when it was part of Gondwanaland. Sedimen...

Greenschist is formed when a parent lava, sandstone, siltstone or mudstone is squashed and flattened by pressure and heat creating its characteristic layered appearance. The green colouration, in contrast to the more common greyschist, is due to different mineral ingredients. It is often used in dec...

Pink schist (called piemontite schist) is formed when a parent lava, sandstone, siltstone or mudstone is squashed and flattened by pressure and heat creating its characteristic layered appearance. The pink colouration is due to the presence of manganese. It is used in decorative walls and fireplaces...

Vesicular basalt is a fine-grained, hard, dense rock with numerous rounded cavities. Basalt is the most common rock on the Earth, Moon and Mars and it has erupted from volcanoes scattered throughout New Zealand.Igneous: Rock formed from lava flows (therefore technically a 'volcanic igneous' rock).So...

Quartzite is a dense and durable rock largely consisting of the mineral quartz. It has many aesthetic and practical uses, e.g. in jewellery and 'shingle' paving. These rocks are rounded (abraded) due to physical weathering, e.g. abrasion and impact through river or wave action.Metamorphic: Formed fr...