Russell Beck has studied all aspects of nephrite jade, especially research into Maori usage and involvement with the discovery of new sources and their preservation. He began a career with the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in 1965 and was later appointed Director, a position he held for 23 years until retirement in 1999. He has travelled widely from the Arctic to the Sub Antarctic and has inspected most of the world's nephrite deposits occurring in China, North America, Siberia, East Asia and the South Pacific. Russell is a qualified gemmologist (FGA) and the author of New Zealand Jade, the precursor to this revised book. In addition, he has co-authored international publications, written articles and papers and delivered lectures about New Zealand jade here and overseas. He is also a sculptor, as well as a carver of jade, with several recent public commissions to his credit. His work has attracted several awards and is represented in public and private collections. In 2000 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).