Not long after, we called it quits and were the proud owners of a handful of tiny gems and the knowledge of how to do it ourselves! Bobby Dazzler Sapphire Mine Tours | The Gemfields QLD The staff there are great and will happily help you sort the rubbish from the worthwhile. Heading there around August. You can drive to Rubyvalefrom Brisbane in about 11 hours but if youre short on time its a one hour flight from Brisbane to Emerald and then a one hour drive from Emerald to Rubyvale. Gem, Jewellery & Gift shop, Buckets & Takeaway bags of wash. Pet Friendly Suitable for all ages Contact now to book in for Trails & Tours. All equipment is supplied. Excellent few hours at the Bobby Dazzler Mine having a tour and learning how to fossick. You dont want to find yourself within someone elses Claim, so look out for white pegs. Why not have something unique made? They were also very informative. Good to know about some towns which are famous for these precious stones and you have mined a good number of stones. Any cutters that you find at The Gemfields can be cut locally for $35 $45 per carat. Lady Luck Fossicking Tours is located at: 1056 Rubyvale Road, The Gemfields 4702. Little House of Gems Fossicking tours and gem gallery. Now that we were officially experts, we took a small sieve and bucket of water down to the currently dry Retreat Creek. Turn out the washed soil onto a table top. Not very happy about this as we weren't told of the changes. Sapphire Fossicking Tip: After heavy rains sapphires wash down the creeks and are often found nestled aroundwashed out tree roots. Improve this listing All photos (19) You work at your own pace and keep everything your find. This is where you get to go out onsite with an expert who will show you how to dig your own dirt, clean it, sort it and find the gems. Fascination Gems & Crystals Upon leaving with your days reward you are more than welcome to call in to see Dave at the Fascination booking office where he will spend time with you for an on-the-spot detailed inspection, under powerful lights and magnifying lenses, to accurately advise you on cutting and facetting of your stones turning them into truly valuable mementos of your days work. Have a look through the various ways below to get an idea of the different sources of Sapphires in The Gemfields. Rubyvale - Central Highlands Queensland Most of them were sent back cut, I think there were only 3 or so that couldnt be cut. If youre looking for a totally unique experience for kids and adults alike, why not go sapphire fossicking in The Gemfields, QLD you wont be disappointed! Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our. Found loads of nice ones at Rubyvale. You will find this little pocket located about four hours west of Rockhampton, nestled in Central Queensland. Remember, we are not a theme park and there are NO facilities on the field, nor do we charge a per bucket price. You can find a huge selection of cut, polished and set Sapphires, ready for purchase. We have the most amazing array of loose Sapphires in every colour of the rainbow. Its a25 carat sapphire with a value of $95,000. This is where we initially learnt all about Sapphires and fossicking. Go to a Fossicking Park and buy a bag/ bucket of wash (from $10 $20 each) and fossick for your own Sapphires. Met the guide at designated place and followed him to a fossicking site. Not such a large selection but I would think least expensive. Unless you count one or two people in front of you at the convenience store. To give you a taste of what to expect, a couple from Germany made a short video when they came on the Fascination digging tour recently. Is there an entry fee or a fee for the tour or fossicking? Its another whole world. We were so happy we went again for a second day. You get free scones and coffee (do they have tea too?) Australian Sapphires dominated the worlds supply of Sapphire in the 1970s & 80s. They enjoy the thrill of the find, and you can go too, with all the gear and tips included. There is no plan B. Met the guide at designated place and followed him to a fossicking site. Ill have to try it out the next time Im in AU. I showed this post to my kids and now they insist that we should visit and dig for gems. Unfortunately, we didnt have time to stop and I was really disappointed. I will be looking to just have some fun and maybe find a nice place to spend a few months every year. Here's a beginner's guide to fossicking for sapphires. Buy a Fossicking Licence online for just $11.55 for a month for a family and you can go fossicking anywhere on Designated Fossicking Lands. A nice surprise - Review of Bobby Dazzler Sapphire Mine Tours, Rubyvale You can check out the Lambert Gems website to find out how to send your Sapphires to them and what the process is. Guided boot camp fossicking trail, it's a must for all ages. The final part of the Gemfields is The Willows. You wont have to look too far to find a Gem Cutter, theyre everywhere out there! This is a wonderful little tourist mine at Rubyvale, where we were taken on a guided tour down into the mineshaft. Sifting through the ground and finding gems is fun for everyone of all ages especially children. The modern day miners are digging down to the bedrock layer in the earth. That should throw people for a loop! Don't forget your camera! Things to do in Rubyvale Fascination Gems & Crystals Fascination Gems & Crystals See all things to do Fascination Gems & Crystals 4 42 reviews #3 of 6 Shopping in Rubyvale Speciality & Gift Shops Visit website Call Write a review About Suggested duration 2-3 hours Suggest edits to improve what we show. rubyvaleholiday@bigpond.com |Tel: (07) 49854 518, For detailed Information on Fossicking Areas with Maps and Licenses, The 'Explore Sapphire Gemfields Brochure'. Fascination Enjoy the bush where treasures are found. TAYLORS FINE SAPPHIRES. Send them to Lambert Gems to be cut by machine. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. 464 were here. Mark the owner was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable about fossicking. Rubyvale and Sapphire are only about 10 minutes away from each other, making everything rather close. But I am sure lots of shiny things really were not gems. Pretty sure he has a website, otherwise, send him an email with dimensions etc for a quote before you arrive ? Keith was not very forthcoming when asked questions and could not give advice about other fossicking areas for when we wanted to venture out on our own. The ones below are the proper fossicking sieves. If youre keen to walk away with some beautiful gems but dont want to go Sapphire fossicking in The Gemfields, there are plenty of jewellery stores on hand. After the Tour spend some time in our underground museum. With 160+ tours, five different travel styles, and tours that go to all seven continents, you can pick your ideal travel experience. So, we got to work and spent the best part of the next few hours pulling out a couple of Sapphires and every piece of quartz in the bucket. He's hopeless. Sapphire Fossicking can become very addictive! So if it rains while youre visiting Rubyvale you may not even need to do any digging, just walk around with your eyes trained to the ground! Extremely well run and affordable tour- established since the 1980s. Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, 97 Heritage Rd, Rubyvale, Queensland 4702 Australia. Excellent tour guide walked us down into the mine (48 easy stairs and slope) , 15 m underground. 2. We even scored 11 tiny gems out of it! 9. You can buy jars and lockets at various places throughout The Gemfields, or you can get them cheaper through the links below on eBay. Your tour will take you to the truly peaceful setting in the bush where you know the wash you dig is virgin. This small township is a bit further away, being on the other side of the Capricorn Highway. A great morning 24/3/2021 with Keith on a Tag-a-long Tour to one of the local public fossicking areas. We don't usually do tours as they are for real tourists but we liked the sound of the Fascination tagalong fossicking tour. 40 minutes & is $20 for Adults, $17.50 for Seniors, $10 13-17 yrs, $5 5-12 yrs, under 5's are free. The Muse de Grenoble, right in the heart of the city, has an astonishing collection of 900 works of fine . Specking (just scouring the surface for Sapphires lying exposed) is a common method for finding Sapphires particularly after rain. Keith was not very forthcoming when asked questions and could not give advice about other fossicking areas for when we wanted to venture out on our own. However, the Sapphires you get back will be of the same size, colour and quality of what you sent over. The act of picking up any Sapphires that you find lying on the ground is called specking. Yep, its a real thing! I definitely recommend going for a drive around the local streets and dont forget to explore the Mining Claims youre in for a treat! the explanation was the guide is taking to long. Today exploring the Gemfields may encompass sapphire fossicking, mine tours, gem cutting, jewellery shops, and Gem galleries, sieving and the bush experience. A terrific, if warm, morning. The friendly staff at the mine and cafe ensured our time here was really enjoyable and worthwhile. Ive checked the link and youre right, its not working. Pour the sieved soil into another sieve ready for washing. I believe diamonds are super rare there, but not impossible to find. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Head to the Sapphire Gemfields of Central Queensland You can drive to Rubyvale from Brisbane in about 11 hours but if you're short on time it's a one hour flight from Brisbane to Emerald and then a one hour drive from Emerald to Rubyvale. Was disappointed with the mine tour when we arrived for our mine tour we said we wanted to do a bucket of wash and we were told that the miners heritage would be closing after our tour ended. The Sapphire Gemfields is a huge area to explore with many bush tracks, gullies and old mining areas. Miners Heritage (Rubyvale): All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go This is why I try to avoid being tied to a schedule. Unfortunately we must have got Keith on an off day. Their display room of gems was awesome. There are no facilities, not even a pit toilet or screen. Even though Winter is technically peak season in Rubyvale and Sapphire, its really not crowded.
