A local farmer found a gemstone vein near Nelson — now the land’s under investigation

It started with a landslip after a week of rain.

But what Nelson farmer Josh Muir noticed in the exposed soil wasn’t just rocks — it was a glimmer.

A cluster of deep green crystals, embedded in the clay, unlike anything he’d seen before.

Now, just two months later, his quiet hilltop paddock has become the centre of a geological and legal investigation, with whispers of a rare gemstone deposit drawing attention from both the Crown and private companies.

“I thought it was just glass at first,” Josh says.
“But the colour was too pure, and when I held it to the sun, it had this crazy depth. That’s when I knew it wasn’t normal.”

Not just quartz — something rarer

Josh sent a sample to a friend with a geology background, who ran basic tests — and the results were not what he expected.

The stone showed traits similar to chrome diopside, a rare mineral often found near jade deposits, and sometimes even associated with garnet or peridot formations.

“It’s not pounamu,” the geologist said.
“But it might be something equally unique — and marketable.”

Within days, a regional geoscience unit was contacted, and a preliminary site visit was conducted.

The verdict: further testing required.

In the meantime, the land is being monitored, and any extraction has been frozen.

Crown minerals — who actually owns it?

Under New Zealand law, certain minerals and gemstones found below the surface may fall under the Crown Minerals Act, even if discovered on private land. That means:

• The landowner doesn’t automatically own what’s underground
• Extraction may require Crown permits
• Māori iwi interests may also apply, especially if taonga or wāhi tapu are identified nearby

“I’m not trying to get rich,” Josh says.
“But I don’t want to be pushed off my land or told I can’t touch what’s under my own feet.”

The wider implications

If confirmed, this could be the first gemstone-quality deposit discovered in the Nelson region in over 40 years.

While the West Coast is known for pounamu, and parts of Otago for sapphires, the upper South Island has largely remained untapped.

But now, prospectors, collectors and opportunists are watching closely.

Already, Josh says, strangers have appeared at the edge of his farm, and he’s had “a few unmarked vehicles” on the nearby access road.

“Someone even offered me $200 just to walk the edge of the ridge,” he says.
“That’s when I started locking the gates.”

What happens next?

The land is now flagged for geotechnical and cultural assessment.

DOC and regional iwi groups have been notified, and any further disturbance is paused until a full review is completed.

But for Josh, the excitement has given way to uncertainty.

“I’m a farmer. I didn’t ask for this. I just want to know if I’ve found something… or if I’ve just made my life a whole lot more complicated.”

Whatever lies beneath that ridge near Nelson, it’s no longer just Josh’s secret.

And if the tests come back positive — it might change everything.