Elemental analysis of New Zealand Nephrite Jade (pounamu) for forensic purposes
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Pounamu (NZ jade), or nephrite, is a protected mineral in its natural form following the
transfer of ownership back to Ngai Tahu under the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act 1997.
Any theft of nephrite is prosecutable under the Crimes Act 1961. Scientific evidence is
essential in cases where origin is disputed. A robust method for discrimination of this
material through the use of elemental analysis and compositional data analysis is required.
Initial studies have characterised the variability within a given nephrite source. This has
included investigation of both in situ outcrops and alluvial material. Methods for the
discrimination of two geographically close nephrite sources are being developed.
Key Words: forensic, jade, nephrite, laser ablation, inductively coupled plasma mass
spectrometry, multivariate analysis, elemental analysis, compositional data analysis
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