Showcasing the rare beauty of Australian Sapphires.
MY PRODUCTS
Australian sapphires (from Central Queensland in particular) have been a great passion of mine for over 25 years. A wondrous mix of shapes and shades, responsibly sourced, and expertly faceted are available.
I source my rough sapphires predominantly from local sapphire miners who work hard to unearth these beautiful gems. The gems that I work with have been mined or specked, with minimal impact on the environment. Sometimes I am even lucky enough to 'speck' one myself!
I have 25 years faceting experience and facet the gems that I source myself, or outsource the faceting to other talented gemcutters.
Most of my sapphires are sold as loose faceted gems, to be set into jewellery of your own design.
FACETED LOOSE SAPPHIRES
The Central Queensland sapphire deposit was 'originally discovered' in the 1870's, and covers an area of approximately 900 square km.
The Gemfields has a fascinating history, and it has been wonderful to see the increasing appreciation and popularity of these wonderful gems in recent years.
The sapphires from C.Qld. Gemfields are most commonly blue (dark to medium, with rarer light blues), 'parti' (colour partitioned/zoned), green and yellow (both yellow and 'true green' is quite rare). Orange, colour change sapphires, pinks and purple are very rare. The area also produces star sapphires, zircons, spinel and other gems.
A gemcutter will carefully assess the rough gem, before choosing/creating a design, and precisely cutting and polishing the gem, creating a beautifully scintillating faceted gem.
ROUGH SAPPHIRES
Rough sapphires are a beauty to behold (especially if you find it yourself!).
The interesting surface features, crystal structures (including the prized 'Dogstooth' crystal), endless color combinations ('Pharaoh Eye' sapphires are a personal favourite!), silk banding and inclusions, make every single gem unique. The Wonders of mother earth.
Central Queensland Sapphires were brought to the surface of the Earth in explosive volcanic eruptions 15-65 million years ago.
There are many Designated Fossicking areas, where sapphires can be unearthed with shallow digging with hand tools, or 'specking'. A gem quality sapphire is rarer than a diamond though, so they are difficult to find.
Good size, quality gems are very rare, and becoming more difficult to source. Our miners, many on small claims, work hard in a harsh climate, with increasing costs and often a lack of water due to drought.
Every gem is precious and has a story behind it.