Wednesday 9 January 2019

The Gemfields, Queensland. Part 1

Part 1.
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.

35 comments:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thrilled 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.

      Delete
  2. Son preciosos los nombres de las dos poblaciones.

    Besos

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not a life I could live.
    Lovely colours in your ring. I really like the lock and key too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks re ring.
      They of course charge more for gold band, prefer it in gold.

      Delete
  4. Don't see a lot of phone boxes around now days and don't think of mobiles not working but I guess it happens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So 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.

      Delete
  5. Well that visit was certainly worth the experience.
    some 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tall tales are sure to be told along with fibs and plenty of the latter :)
      I 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.

      Delete
  6. what an interesting part of the country. very nice ring too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. It's certainly a different area of Australia and I believe there are many.

      Delete
  7. I would like to see the gem place myself.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The people of gem mining towns are a breed apart. The yellow sapphire stones are very nice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh gosh they are and those that go fossicking are too.
      Thanks.

      Delete
  9. Love your ring dear. it is so beautiful.
    Ready to read more from your trip.

    ReplyDelete
  10. A lovely way to remember this part of the trip.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We get educated as we go along River. Not all stones are sapphires and it can be confusing at times.

      Delete
  12. I known a few miners in my time they are a bit different and so are the towns they live in.
    Merle.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can imagine that Merle, we meet a few along the way in our travels and it's all they talk about is 'fossicking'.

      Delete
  13. Such lovely colours in your ring.
    I enjoyed seeing all of your photographs, does look a different sort of place!

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks like fun. These are the kind of places I would love to explorer.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think that lovely lady was right there to help you :)

    Loved your ring Margaret ! What a splendid colour!

    Gemstones are so expensive even here specially in places where tourism is on peak

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for calling and your comment.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Aesop