Whilst staying at Emerald in Queensland last winter we visited 'The Gemfields', a place we had never been before.
The Gemfields are in the Central Highland area near the town of Emerald.
What an experience - couldn't live there or have their lifestyle, not for me but each to his own.
The sides of the road were dust.
Gem shops kind of hidden, if it hadn't been for the lovely lady in the Caravan Park in Emerald we wouldn't have known which shop to enter, or even if there was a shop there. Certainly a good experience.
The first town we came to was Sapphire, then 8 klm on was Rubyvale, this latter town had a nice hotel and accommodation and the price of some of the gemstones were very expensive as in the thousands of dollars.
Both towns have sapphires all different colours.
You can fossick at Sapphire at one of the shops, there apparently is always a very small sapphire to be found but we didn't bother. I went to one of the shops and bought a yellow sapphire, 3 actually in the one ring.
The first few photos are of Sapphire.
This is the first shop we came across and it was well back off the road.
This is the lock on the post for the gate where I purchased my ring below.
Below are photos of Rubyvale.
A phone box with 3 sides and such old phone books, our mobile phones did work in both towns.
A Gem shop in Rubyvale again well back off the road.
Two different accommodation places and somewhere to eat, a nicer part of the town.
Below - further up the road.
Love your ring Margaret - the yellow sapphires are lovely and have been put in a very nice contemporary setting. I bet that you are pleased - it is a lovely memento of your trip.
ReplyDeleteThrilled to bits with my new ring Rosemary. Always seems to buy rings when I travel :) must be my weakness, but to me an ok one.
DeleteSon preciosos los nombres de las dos poblaciones.
ReplyDeleteBesos
That's true :)
DeleteNot a life I could live.
ReplyDeleteLovely colours in your ring. I really like the lock and key too.
Thanks re ring.
DeleteThey of course charge more for gold band, prefer it in gold.
Don't see a lot of phone boxes around now days and don't think of mobiles not working but I guess it happens.
ReplyDeleteSo many places in Australia where the mobiles don't work at all, amazing in this day and age, but in both those towns the mobile did work, guess the phone box is for the locals who don't have mobile phones, well some of them.
DeleteWell that visit was certainly worth the experience.
ReplyDeletesome of these old mining towns in Australia are so steeped in history
and being a part of that is quite something.
I reckon the people there would have some "TALL TALES" to tell.
The problem for visitors would to fathom out what is fact and what is
fiction or more likely fibbies!!!!
You and "shanks" are to be commended for showing all these amazing aspects
of Aussie bushie life to your overseas viewers. Some of whom I would think
could not imagine these life-styles, but that is what makes us Aussies!
Great blog report, Margaret.
Colin
Tall tales are sure to be told along with fibs and plenty of the latter :)
DeleteI can't get over wrapped in these stones like so many do, however, I do love different coloured sapphires in rings in a particular.
Been to Emerald about 3 times and it's only this last time that we realised the Gemfields were not too far away - always pays to return to a town as there is often something missed.
Thanks.
what an interesting part of the country. very nice ring too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's certainly a different area of Australia and I believe there are many.
DeleteI would like to see the gem place myself.
ReplyDeleteIt's different Adam and good to see.
DeleteThe people of gem mining towns are a breed apart. The yellow sapphire stones are very nice.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh they are and those that go fossicking are too.
DeleteThanks.
Love your ring dear. it is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteReady to read more from your trip.
Thank you Krishna...
DeleteA lovely way to remember this part of the trip.
ReplyDeleteOh it is, so different to what we usually see.
DeleteBeautiful Gemfields, I love to shop.
ReplyDeleteWell it’s different.
DeleteI'm used to sapphires being blue, emeralds being green and diamonds being white. Now there are yellow sapphires, blue topaz, pink and champagne coloured diamonds. It's a good thing I don't buy jewellery, I could be sold coloured glass and never know the difference.
ReplyDeleteWe get educated as we go along River. Not all stones are sapphires and it can be confusing at times.
DeleteNo hills? Just asking.
ReplyDeleteNo there wasn’t in that area.
DeleteI known a few miners in my time they are a bit different and so are the towns they live in.
ReplyDeleteMerle.......
Can imagine that Merle, we meet a few along the way in our travels and it's all they talk about is 'fossicking'.
DeleteSuch lovely colours in your ring.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing all of your photographs, does look a different sort of place!
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan.
DeleteYes, rather different and unique I guess.
What an interesting road!
ReplyDeleteIt's very different.
DeleteLooks like fun. These are the kind of places I would love to explorer.
ReplyDeleteThey are very different places like this..
DeleteI think that lovely lady was right there to help you :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your ring Margaret ! What a splendid colour!
Gemstones are so expensive even here specially in places where tourism is on peak