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Pounamu or greenstone was treasured for, amongst other things, its hardness, It was for Maori their version of steel. It is still used today for cutting sheet steel and is also used in dentistry for as highspeed bits for polishing.

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15y ago

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What is the name of the hard green rock used for maori carvings?

You could say either Pounamu or Taonga.


What is the name of the precious rock the maori hunted for?

The first obvious answer would be Pounamu (Jade). There are many types and qualities, just as there were many uses, though this rock is still highly valued today.http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MineralResources/PounamuJadeOrGreenstone/en


What texture is a greenstone rock?

Greenstone rock can have a smooth texture, with a glossy or waxy appearance. It may also have a fine-grained or compact texture, depending on the specific mineral composition and how it has been weathered or altered over time.


What type of rock is greenstone?

Greenstone is the rock that has characteristics of both igneous and metamorphic rock.When you break this rock you will see the basaltic composition but it is formed when a basalt is subjected to a different temperature and pressure.


What is ely greenstone?

Ely Greenstone is a type of greenstone found in the Ely Greenstone Belt in northern Minnesota. It is a metamorphosed volcanic rock that is around 2.7 billion years old, making it one of the oldest rock formations on Earth. Ely Greenstone is known for its unique color and mineral composition.


How is greenstone formed?

Greenstone, also known as greenschist, is a non layered metamorphic rock derived from basalt, gabbro or similar rocks containing sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar, chlorite, epidote and quartz. Chlorite and epidote give the green color. New Zealand Jade or Greenstone ( Pounamu in Maori ) comes in four main types: Kawakawa, Kahurangi and Inanga are Nephrite or Calcium Magnesium Silicate. Tangiwai is Bowenite or Iron Magnesium Silicate.


What is the name of the precious rock that the early Maori hunted for and what type of rock is it?

The precious rock that the early Maori hunted for was Pounamu/Greenstone.Pounamu is only found in the South Island mostly around the West Coast ways. This was a very strong rock that the Maoris could use for various things.Pounamu is also called Jade. It is often used for jewellery and is highly prized to this day. It was often used for weapons too in the past. It's rather like the diamonds in South Africa - just as you can't just walk into a mine over there , find a diamond and keep it, you can't just go to a river in westland and go greenstone hunting and keep it . The rights to the Pounamu belong to Maori.


Where was mostly found the precious rock that the early Maori hunted for?

The precious rock that the early Maori hunted for was pounamu, better known as jade. The Maori used the strong rock for weapons.


What is the protolith for greenstone?

The protolith for greenstone is usually basaltic or andesitic volcanic rock that has undergone metamorphism, resulting in the formation of chlorite, epidote, and actinolite minerals that give greenstone its characteristic green color. These rocks are typically found in greenschist facies metamorphic environments.


Is pounamu rock a type of igneous rock?

Pounamu is the Maori name for several types of hard, durable and highly valued nephrite jade and bowenite found in New Zealand, thanks to Wikipedia. It is found only on the South Island.Be aware, however, that as nephrite jade is, by definition, a mixture of amphiboles with an interlocking microcrystalline structure, pure actinolite or pure tremolite minerals, it is therefore not jade.


Can an igneous rock be changed into a metamorphic rock?

Yes. Among some of the more common changes, granite can become gneiss and basalt can become greenstone.


What is the word rock in te maori?

Toka is a word meaning boulder, rock or large stone. Kōwhatu means stone or rock and is a noun. Kāmaka also means stone or rock and is a noun.