He was very informative and showed us the fossicking process from where to dig, how to dig, separating the wash from the dirt and then using the willoughby to eventually looking for the gemstones. Their display room of gems was awesome. Jon. 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! A terrific, if warm, morning. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. Fully guided tour takes approx 30 minutes , learn how sapphires are formed in nature , view a video of our mining process & learn some of the history to this amazing area. SAPPHIRES were first found in the area in the late 1870s and by 1890 commercial mining had begun. Speciality & Gift Shops History Museums. There is a caravan park with a fossicking park on site and a service station nearby. Its another whole world. The kids and us loved the underground tour. We collect your Name & Email Address for the sole purpose of Email correspondence from our website. We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location. If you require any further information please phone 07 49854444. It will work out that you can get your Sapphires cut starting at just a few dollars each, as opposed to $35 $45 each by hand in Australia. Oh, thats not just exciting for kids! We would have loved to do this! And my husband said we should go looking for sapphires (which I dont believe to be very abundant in SA). The Australian Sapphires found in these areas are blue, green & yellow or beautiful multi-coloured Sapphires known as Parti-Colour Sapphires. Copyright 2023 MY RIG Adventures All rights reserved, Sapphire Fossicking in The Gemfields, QLD [FULL GUIDE], Innot Hot Springs [Mineral Waters], Far North QLD, 17 Things To Do In Glen Innes, Celtic Country NSW. Worst tourism experience I have had anywhere in the world. 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. You are more than welcome to visit any time of course! Just dont forget that whatever you do you will feel relaxed and comfortable at Rubyvale Motel & Holiday Units - the best accommodation on the Gemfields. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our. Should be $10 per couple not $100. Fascination Extremely well run and affordable tour- established since the 1980s. Miners Heritage is on the site of a sapphire mine that started in 1906 , it was developed as a Tourist Mine in 1984. Copyright 2023 Visit Capricorn | Designed in the Capricorn Region by Almost Anything | Privacy Policy. ACTIVITIES: Fossicking, gem cutting, gemstones, specking, jewellery, mining, arts & crafts, four wheel driving, native animals, bushwalking, exploring, birdlife & historical. The Gemfields, QLD is made up of the four suburbs detailed below. I dont have a permit, just sneak out and start fossicking. Try the Fossicking Parks, Jewellers and other businesses. , Haha thats gold! The Sapphire Gemfields also has nominated areas set aside where the general public can do their own thing, wander and fossick. Our price includes all of the above. Grenoble is rich in museums and historic landmarks with its Place Notre-Dame, a 13th-century cathedral, the Muse de l'Ancien vch and Fontaine des Trois Ordres, which commemorates the 1788 events leading to the French Revolution. The tour guide was informative, however the lights where turned off 5 minutes into the tour of the mine. It can be hot, dirty, sweaty work considering you need to be in the full sunlight to really see the glint of the Sapphire. Bobby Dazzler Sapphire Mine Tours (Rubyvale): All You Need to Know, Things to do near Bobby Dazzler Sapphire Mine Tours, Dubai Airport (DXB) to Port Rashid Dubai Cruise port -Roundtrip Private Transfer, Premium Glow Worm AdventureAll Inclusive Full Day Tour, Japanese-style Lymphatic Massage in Tokyo, Dubai Marina Dinner Cruise with Live Music, The Cave Tour with Fijian Village, Local School and Snorkeling, Santorini Day Tour from Heraklion by Sea Jets, McLaren Vale and Glenelg Wine Tasting and Sightseeing (Half-day Afternoon). We were taught that anything shiny and see-through when you hold it up to the light is probably Sapphire. We had no luck panning but it was still fun and we took away some interesting rocks. We supply all the equipment and water to enjoy a lifetime experience. Thanks in advance for your help Not every shiny thing is a sapphire. What hotels are near Fascination Gems & Crystals? We had 75 small Sapphires and a few Zircons that Lamberts have cut for us. It all went down in a time long ago, even dinosaurs were roaming the Earth. He was very informative and showed us the fossicking process from where to dig, how to dig, separating the wash from the dirt and then using the willoughby to eventually looking for the gemstones. Tour guide belittles people. There are no restrictions on the number of buckets you dig. . Sorry to hear about you experience. Who knew gem fossicking in Queensland would be a whole heap of fun? The perimeter of each Claim will be market out with four white pegs. Told underground tour would be suitable but the number of steps quoted was not true unable to do tour as my disability would not allow. These are run by keen prospector miners who are going fossicking and digging whether you go or not. You are a terrific teacher Jason. Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. This sounds like a great activity for both adults and kids. I would suggest booking accommodation before you leave just in case though. Lady Luck fossicking tours is a fun day for all ages. Of course, Id probably get my hands so grubby, eating a scone might become a bit of a gritty affair. I took a fossicking tour with Karen and Michael at the Little House of Gems. Unfortunately we must have got Keith on an off day. Of course, its not all hard work Relax in our luxurious smoko lounge for a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit. Was quite off-putting and was not keen to explain much. Proudly created by Adam Taylor. At the ages of five and three years, my kids often collect special rocks. There is no plan B. 9. As with any Self Drive Tour, you are the boss of your own time. The process to get the sapphires did sound easy. 2. Save your $90 and buy couple bags of washed stones. Excellent few hours at the Bobby Dazzler Mine having a tour and learning how to fossick. Gem, Jewellery & Gift shop, Buckets & Takeaway bags of wash. Pet Friendly Suitable for all ages Contact now to book in for Trails & Tours, Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Now that we were officially experts, we took a small sieve and bucket of water down to the currently dry Retreat Creek. Every fifth property has a spot out the front where you can do this you wont have any trouble finding one! Jason and the gang really looked after us and we feel confident we now have the knowledge to be successful and environmentally conscious sapphire fossickers. Can you see the little green number here? Display all the bright ones in a glass jar. They Really need to learn some people skills. Thanks for introducing to me 2 new words: fossicking and specking! Bobby Dazzler Mine Rubyvale is located at 1688 Rubyvale Rd, The Gemfields QLD 4702, Australia What days are Bobby Dazzler Mine Rubyvale open? The bombs (Sapphires that are full of cracks and cant be cut) look really nice in a larger glass jar on a window sill that catches the sunlight. Totally recommend this tour it only cost $20 per adult. Haha no worries. If you fossick at a Fossicking Park, the staff will go through your finds and make sure that youve sorted the Quartz from the Sapphires and will put the cutters (ones big enough to get cut) into a separate bag for you. Our guide was a knowledgeable, intelligent and interesting speaker. I showed this post to my kids and now they insist that we should visit and dig for gems. We had passed by the Central Queensland Gemfields on the way through to Central Australia 18 months earlier. The staff there are great and will happily help you sort the rubbish from the worthwhile. Unfortunately, we didnt have time to stop and I was really disappointed. 72 Keilambete Road, RUBYVALE Queensland 4702 Australia, For prices, enquiries & bookings telephone: Where to Find Sapphires in The Gemfields, QLD. The towns of Rubyvale and Sapphire have 3 general stores, hotel, Post Offices, fuel, cafes, take-aways, Sunday markets, jewellery shops, gem gallery, gem cutters, goldsmiths and jewellers. An Australian Sapphire found in the ground can be a lifelong memory. These are modestly priced and easily obtained from a number of agents on the Gemfields,or fromthe Department of Mines & Energy in Emerald. The iced coffee and chocolate where also excellent. For prices, enquiries & bookings telephone: NOTE: As you are digging on a Designated Fossicking Area a Fossickers Licence is also required. . Miners Heritage was established in 1982 as a working mine , it was then decided to run Mine Tours , after the mine entry & underground showroom were completed Miners Heritage was officially opened for it's first Tour in 1984. Your email address will not be published. Well, I wasnt disappointed this time! Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. When youve cooled off and cleaned uphead to Policemans Knob just outside Rubyvale to watch the sunset. That should throw people for a loop! Click below to see the other local attractions in The Gemfields, including pics and info. Recommendations for fossicking areas on an impending Qld holiday? Heading there around August. Commercial mining of Australian Sapphires is currently in a low, with hobby miners and fossickers being the prominent diggers. They locate old creek beds, which is where all of those gems are sitting. Browse the many Sapphire shops and galleries where you will find magnificent gem and Jewellery to dazzle and tempt every taste and price. Im surprised theres nowhere (or maybe you didnt find anywhere) to fossick in America. Rubyvale Markets every Saturday morning. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. Elaine xx. We have just been to the gemfields and fossicked some small sapphires we had them graded too to send to Lamberts, but noticed there are quite small. Guided boot camp fossicking trail, it's a must for all ages. Tag Along Fossicking Tours Take a tag along fossicking tour to dig, sieve, wash and inspect your very own diggings under guidance from an experienced miner. Oh nice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your Sapphires will be examined and categorised. We also have a CAFE on site. As of mid 2014 were digging a new location in the Glenalva fossicking area here are a few photos to give you a feel for the place and the experience. Please note if you do not add your contact phone or email we cannot reply to your booking. Bullwinkle Jan 13, 2020 Help Support Prospecting Australia: Bullwinkle Joined Mar 5, 2017 Messages 155 Reaction score 232 Jan 13, 2020 #1 G'day everyone. If you did it right any sapphires should be lying on top or round the sides when you remove the sieve. Very interesting commentary. If you find Sapphires outside of a Fossicking Park (through specking or doing it yourself on the fossicking lands), take your finds into the Miners Heritage. Our onsite Jeweller has over 30 years industry experience. So, what exactly can you do with your bag of pretties, besides throw them in the back of a drawer and forget about them? Improve this listing All photos (19) Get someone with a personality and people skills to run it or get the tour guide trained. No skills in fossicking imparted. This is a wonderful little tourist mine at Rubyvale, where we were taken on a guided tour down into the mineshaft. Cafe food not exceptional.No refund. The entire Gemfields region is so interesting. The summer is far too hot to be standing in the hot sun fossicking for Sapphires. Self Drive Fossicking Day Tours - booking office; Fossicking Gear Hire . The job is of outstanding quality, and the costs are reasonable. Elaine and her team were very helpful. Your email address will not be published. Its a25 carat sapphire with a value of $95,000. Learnt so much about Sapphire mining and tour guide was full of info and happy to answer questions. Should be $10 per couple not $100. I love gemstones and precious stones and even wear it too. It is a commercial tourist operation which offers guided mine tours, a fossicking park where you can try your luck, a gem shop, a mini museum and a cafe. Fossicking for sapphires is easy if you know what youre doing. Once at your designated fossicking area you can start digging up earth, sieving off dust and washing stones in a bucket of water so any heavy sapphires sink to the bottom. Self-Drive Day Tour A fabulous way for the novice to learn a little about the history and processes of sapphire fossicking. If we were to stay in hotel/motel type accommodation, I would stay at theRubyvale Motel and Holiday Unitsas it has a cool observatory (the outback night sky is magnificent), a pool, and is within walking distance of fossicking sites. He's hopeless. $$ - $$$ Cafe Australian Vegetarian Friendly. Everyone here has a story, and its worth taking the time to strike up a conversation with both the local residents and visitors to hear of their gemstone discoveries. Followed by optional activity sieving for your own sapphires- we got quite a few (not good enough quality to cut) but great fun! specialising in Fine Unique Australian Sapphire Jewellery are a must. Hi they responded and yes they are closed until March next year. What adult doesnt secretly like the idea of stumbling over their very own gemstone? We decided to head straight to the Sapphire Reserve Free Camp, where we set up home and were able to take stock. to have these set. Hi Lara, yes there is a fee for the guided mine tour, it takes approx. And now I know how its done and I think it MUST be easier than panning for gold!! (07) 4985 4675 or 0407 854 676. We noticed ring settings available at the Sapphire Mine Shop and also at Fascination, where the guy has his workshop just behind the counter. Under new management needs Some fine tuning . I believe diamonds are super rare there, but not impossible to find. In other words, the less stuff youve got (in the way of housing and machinery), the easier it is to strip the block back. All equipment is supplied. 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. Hope to see you again xx. Extremely well run and affordable tour- established since the 1980s. Not such a large selection but I would think least expensive. Gratuitous selfie of me on a horse taken early one morning in Rubyvale: Timely story! From and About the Central Queensland Gemfields, BROUGHT TO YOU BY FASCINATION GEMS & CRYSTALS, RUBYVALE, QLD AUSTRALIA, Fascination I cant imagine leasing it for 10 years tho! Required fields are marked *. From the elderly couple in the huge bus beside us who stay here three months out of every year, to the lady we met buying ice-creams who purchased a mining lease to retire on.