Get your pioneering hats on as you venture into the ultimate exploration trip of a lifetime into the Emerald Gemfields. Dating back to the 1870s, treasure hunters and explorers have been magnetised to the gemfields in search of precious stones.
The Emerald Gemfields covers almost 900 square kilometres of treasure hunting opportunity, and is only a 45 minute drive West from Emerald town centre. Given that the gemfields are one of the world’s largest sapphire fields, it comes as no surprise that visitors from all over the world make their way to this quiet part of the Aussie Outback in hopes to discover and experience the Emerald Gemfields.
Welcoming all adventure seekers looking to experience a real sense of Outback Australia, it’s time to get your hands dirty with some hands-on experiences at the Emerald Gemfields.
Jump on a Fossicking Tour
With hopes to uncover the next biggest gem found in these fields, start your hunt for treasure with a fossicking tour. After all, to increase your chances for success, you’ll need to do some fast track learning to know where to look followed by some fossicking tricks of the trade.
Sapphire fossicking can be hot and dusty work, but the experience and rewards are worth it. Head to Fascination Gems in Rubyvale to begin your journey with the tour including a fossicking licence, tips and tricks from an experienced miner, and all the tools you need followed by a map to explore the area.
Once at a designated site, simply start digging up the earth, siege off the dust and place the stones in a bucket of water hoping that you’ve found yourself some sapphire stones that will sink to the bottom. The excitement rests in the unknown, with a massive opportunity to find a rock worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Don’t forget snacks
Truth be told, the Emerald gemfields aren’t the best for ensuring some gourmet foods, so be sure to pack some snacks and even a lunch for a picnic. All that hard work will amount to a hungry stomach, so don’t forget to come prepared with plenty of water and food to make your tummies happy.
Do a mining tour
Escape the heat with a deep exploration of the Miners Heritage with a tour of the mine. The spring and summer heat won’t get to you as it’s always cool underground.
The Miners Heritage is the nation’s largest underground sapphire mine tour, where you’ll get a first hand insight into what it is like to be a sapphire miner. A short tour that is fun for all ages, explore the dark depths of the mine as you embrace the sparkling walls of sapphires that surround you. After all, the more sparkles you see, the more amped up you will be for more fossicking after.
You can learn more about sapphire mining history in the underground museum, where noteworthy finds are reported. Buy a bucket of wash containing leftover findings from commercial mines. Who knows, you may get lucky like one tourist who came across a 4 carat yellow sapphire in a bucket of wash.
Sapphires in the sky
The sapphires in the Emerald Gemfields aren’t only found underground, but also in the sky. A little corny, we know, but the stars out here in the Australian Outback are incomparable to the views you get in town.
With a completely dark sky, stargazing here is an absolute must and there is no place better to do so than the Jewels by Night Observatory at the Rubyvale Motel. With a powerful telescope to help you clearly identify clusters of planets and stars, it’s time to admire in fascination as you gaze upon Saturn’s rings and the many moons of Jupiter.
Before heading on your adventure to explore the Emerald Gemfields, it always pays off to fill your belly with scrumptious foods to fuel your sapphire explorations. After all, the Sapphire Gemfields may be an excellent place for an abundance of gems, but it certainly isn’t as equipped for great food.
So before leaving Emerald to go on your treasure hunting escapade, be sure to drop by the local Maraboon Tavern for a good feast. Delicious fresh meals cooked by highly skilled chefs, fresh and crisp beers on tap, followed by exceptional customer service, all happening in a perfect local tavern setting with an extensive kids playground (yes, the list is long!), it’s the place to be for a hearty meal before a sapphire seeking adventure.
Banner image credit: Visit Capricorn
