Gem Fossicking at Sapphire Part 1

When it's too windy and miserable for fishing, fossicking is one of our other hobbies we enjoy.
It still amazes me that we can dig up something so old and potentially valuable from the ground with just our hand tools.
Sapphires and zircons are the predominate gem stones found in the area of what's known as the Gem Fields Central Queensland, Australia.
Being in nature really nourishes my soul and so a trip to Sapphire was what I was yearning for, a get away from the hustle and bustle of our Gold Coast home (where we were living at the time of this trip)
This is the trip that encouraged us to buy our new home at Calliope Central QLD. We literally looked at our 'now' property on the way back to the Gold Coast and signed a contract on it.
I hope you enjoyed this episode.
We highly recommend Sapphire Caravan Park, Owners Darrel and Victoria are awesome, accommodating and very welcoming. The park is lovely and quiet and roomy between caravan sights.

[@buzzlightyear2302]

Some nice gems around after heavy rain,thunderstorms in the gemfields.

[@CarolineD1967]

My daughter and I were in Sapphire recently, we fossicked and stayed in the same camp site in Sapphire 😊

[@alisonshanahan9529]

What a fun time, good to see Emmett getting so involved and interested.

[@xnakxx]

Now the transition from the beautiful bird eating the biscuit from your hand to meat on the grill did make me laugh a bit. :) Yeah I'm a bit morbid in my humor. Great job on the gems you two.

[@stevewilson8752]

Long drive hey ☺️ Beautiful sunrise guys 👍

[@brunfree]

Love all the different things you do, adventure is great stuff, keep it going, life is a bit of everything❤

[@stevewilson8752]

I'D like to give fossicking a go just for the experience & potential excitement ☺️ & to get out of Bundy for a week or two 🤣 Love the video Brooke & D man 👍 Looking forward to the next chapter ! Steve from bundy 🏄‍♂️🍹

[@woolly2426]

That was fascinating to watch , thanks guys enjoy your break .

[@pb9040]

Good stuff ,

[@suekeane]

That was a fun video Brooke

[@H3avyHaul3r]

keep on keeping on….i’m here for your life journeys…ps. i hate fishing (but have watched a couple of your fishing episodes)

[@robbiecryer]

Thanks for sharing 👍😎

[@garystewart6093]

13:00 great wrist action

[@sams7655]

Becareful guys, I just watched wolf Creek last weekend

[@wayne1959]

well done guys. that bomb looked like it would take a nice skin polish..we are heading to the gemmies in a week or two

[@garystewart6093]

Dennis is a lucky man

[@stevewilson8752]

Park BBQ-ING is cool ☺️👍

[@mickthefisherman1562]

Hey Brook, have you ever thought of a trip i to Charters towers? You might find some gold and the fishing in the Burdekin is great. I never thought of fossicking before but your vid has given me some ideas, thanks.

[@davidcrozier9999]

We local's speck Retreat creek as soon as it rains. Hit some of the other grounds and you will do heaps better and much bigger stones! Hit up a local or two and we will put you on the right track!

[@nevanalthaus2387]

👍💎

[@treeman3663]

Building your jewellery collection

[@hybridgoth]

Fyi, hand held diamond testers like the one you were using at the end don't test for hardness and cannot be used to differentiate glass from most natural gems, they test for thermal conductivity, subsequently they aren't useful testing stones other than diamonds 'diamonds exhibit high thermal conductivity'. Garnets and zircons have relatively low levels of thermal conductivity, thus would generally not register high on such tools, sapphires and rubies do have a moderate level of thermal conductivity, but, having said that, it is around 30 times less than that of diamond and thus would be unlikely to set off a diamond tester that is being used correctly. The similar hand held tools used for distinguishing moissanite would also be rather unhelpful as they test for electrical conductivity 'moissanites also have high thermal conductivity similar to that of diamonds, thus, their differences in electrical conductivity is commonly utilised to separate the two'. Whilst they're good tools to use when differentiating diamonds from other stones, they can't really tell you much about other stones except that they aren't diamonds.

[@Bernie5172]

9 hours.??? It only a 4 1/2 hour trip?

[@carlgoss9406]

when will we see more fishing? hooked on brooke isnt living up to its name

[@Jeff-vt8kn]

Did you not listen at the beginning their on vacation 😂

[@treeman3663]

50 bucks for 2 buckets of dirt and rocks 🪨 your mad