Hunting for Diamonds in Tasmania

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I’ve never seen a diamond in Tasmania..
And if you’re like most Tasmanians, you never knew they existed.
But rest assured, while tasmania may not rival South Africas diamonds for there size, It has in fact produced several, verified diamonds.
These are not to be confused with the ‘Killiecrankie Diamonds’ of Flinders Island, which is just a brilliant white topaz, Tasmanias diamonds are real diamonds, and take on the classical octahedral shape.
Comprised of just one element, Carbon, diamonds are formed over billions of years.
The pressure required to form a diamond is about 150kms below the earths surface, where the average temperature is 1000 degrees. Under these conditions the magma expands and breaks the earths surface in volcanos bringing diamonds bearing lava with it. Only about 1 in every 200 deposits contain diamonds. And these These special types of volcanic deposits are referred to as kimberlite deposits.
But the thing is tasmania doesn’t have any kimberlite deposits, And no one is really sure how the hell they ended up here.
The Fact of the matter is, in 1894 a mister L.Harvey bought two diamonds to Launceston which he had won from a creek in the corinna district.
These were ignored until 1906 when another diamond was found in the same creek later to be known as Harvey Creek. this stone was bought to the attention of a government geologist, MR. Petterd who verified ‘The Tasmanian Diamond has evident characteristics which distinguish it from gems found in the other parts of the world. tinted straw-yellow at the apex’
In 1918 government geologist William twelvetrees issued an information booklet on tasmanian diamonds, aimed to provided information for persons who may be engaged in sluicing sands for mineral, in localities in which diamond is a likely occurrence’.
in this he states ‘It is highly probable that the stones which have been found were merely companions of many others which still lie hidden in the gravels of that locality.’’These fields are now idle, but it is a warrantable supposition that diamonds are still in the gravels waiting to be removed.’ ‘It would be well, however, for all who are washing sands in this district for gold or osmiridium to be on the look-out for diamonds.’ And that ‘it is extremely improbable that any appreciable output of diamonds will result in any other way than in the course of gold (or osmiridium) winning.’
Sounds simple enough right? Just get to the creek and start panning… but A quick Research and the creek is noted as quite inaccessible, and that a helicopter might help…
But that’s never stopped us before.
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[@stevenhart9004]

Hi Rob Diamonds & gold are easier trapped by partially horizontal volcanic vents, so finding where the vents of a volcano may have been is a good place to search. Because you found gold, diamonds could be close by. But because it was small flakes of gold you are probably not on the main deposit & diamonds can wash away from the gold easily as gravels move, so they can be down stream from the gold. Old timers panned up a stream following the deposit. When you stop finding it, you go back to the last deposits & then work your way up the hills to find heavier gold that does not move far from its original position. Diamonds are likely to be near larger deposits or above them if in undisturbed gravels or clay. Natural Diamonds usually have an oily luster compared to clear quartz crystals. Keep up the fun adventures.

[@dolfindino7430]

It is very nice With precise calculations like you in future it becomes easy to mine many minerals 😂

[@sergeybalty6324]

Plenty diamonds Yass area NSW

[@tonymcguinness8947]

Just amazing 👏 what a beautiful part of the world we live in here in Tasmania. You are one amazing person going to some of the most remote areas of Tasmania. Full respect for what you achieve 👏❤👍

[@Rob.Parsons]

Aw thanks mate ya too kind. I can’t sleep at night unless I’m ticking these bucket list locations off. Stoked you enjoyed it!

[@razorback0z]

Agree so much. Rob's videos are better than most outdoor shows on TV.

[@borninthewrongera6888]

Thanks for an awesome Video . I would love to explore our home state .

[@haydenwells9171]

Hi Rob. I lived in Savage River during the seventies and early eighties and we knew about the diamonds back then. We use to do a lot of bushwalking and gold panning. There are a lot of things hidden away in the bush on the west coast that most people don't know about. The government geologist reports are a good source of information. We used to use them all the time. Good luck with your search. The west coast is a beautiful place and I miss it and the people frequently.

[@chrisgolfer7528]

Another ripper of an adventure Rob, too old now for me to even attempt what you do but at least I feel that I'm travelling with you in the videos and at least enjoying the wilderness through your eyes.

[@dcsc1]

Wow, your filming is impeccable. You capture the most beautiful of everything! Is filming your profession? The angles, the light, the flora and fauna, the editing..it's all so damn good. Your numbers should be running up! KZbin's algorithms are whack, your vids should be plastered everywhere. I'm sharing the shite out this channel! You really know how to show the absolute beauty of Tassie 👌

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thank you A!

[@stevemacdaddy9909]

As an outdoorsman from Montana. I used to hunt sapphire and rubies. A little panning. Always wanted to snipe. But the water wear I live is mostly snow runoff and cold as hell. I admire your effort and your country is beautiful. The videos ive been watching of another diamond hunter looks for cobble that's stuck with the same grey clay. Also had chunks of red jasper and agate. He found 3 different colors diamonds in one day at the big field here in the states that he digs in. Great video. Great drone shots. Nice job young man. The only thing I think you could have used and carried easily would be a couple of pan sized clasifiers.

[@thepochade5992]

I've been gem stone sieving in a river in north eastern Tassie :) Thanks for sharing this footage. You took me back to a happy time of hiking, mountain climbing, camping, panning etc in my younger life in Tasmania.

[@lucdaigle2394]

Good day Rob, wow, great adventure and some gold to keep in a bottle, well done. I worked for Rio back in the nineties as an exploration geo, the company was CRA originally and changed to the parent company name Rio Tinto in about 1996. I looked after diamond exploration mainly in NSW and did programs in South Australia and visited the Argyle mine. I have seen thousands of NSW diamonds and even have a small collection. No one has found the source of the Australian East coast diamonds and one day it may be found. The are very rare and you have to be very lucky to get one in a pan. A bit of useful advice to help you in your gold and gem exploration, use screens to classify the material you are panning, I used a 10mm screen and a 2mm screen, run enough gravel through the screens to fill a 20litre bucket with -2mm gravel, sort through the 10mm oversize for any nuggets or gems, and learn to jig the +2mm to -10mm fraction. Jigging is a simple method that concentrate the large heavy mineral fraction quickly and I have found many small gold nuggets and gems using this method. Now you can pan down the twenty litre bucket to get to the heavy minerals, we sent ours to our lab for separation and analysis of the heavies for micro diamonds and counts of diamond occurrence associated minerals or Kimberlite indicator minerals. Best of luck and enjoy the adventures.

[@beniblack9650]

Been watching a heap of ya vids the last few days. Love ya work man. Came for the prospecting but found your vids to me much more than just prospecting. Would love to see some of the sights you've seen in your travels.

[@georgeredbranch652]

Great effort Rob. I admire the fact that you are not afraid to leave the path less taken and just go for it. The reward is in the doing. Thanks for taking us along.

[@stephengeorge7510]

A mate of mine in the early 70's found a diamond crystal in the bottom seive while looking for sapphires south West of Sydney. It was a tiny one but a perfect clear crystal. He was a geologist and was puzzled that there are no ultra basic pipes anywhere near. So anything is possible. Great vid. Enjoyed the sound of the currawong in the background, memories of our mountain camps.

[@HummelJaeger]

There is an old eroded volcanic pipe near Sydney that did give up some elluvial diamonds. There are some interesting, if uneconomical, geological features on the edges of the Sydney basin - for example, small amounts of gold can be found by sluicing in and around the Nepean in Western Sydney.

[@stephengeorge7510]

@@HummelJaeger unfortunately the site was in a water catchment area.

[@dazzler6123]

Mate your videos are brilliant glued to every one keep up excellent work

[@haroldm5075]

Really enjoy your adventures. Along with Levi, excellent videos shared here are greatly appreciated. Good luck for all your adventures.

[@jameswelch1054]

Wow, is Tasmania, ever beautiful! I really enjoyed the concept of this video, it got me excited. You did not find the diamonds, but it was a fun adventure. I imagine that it will take more time to zero in on the diamonds. I live in Montreal, a big city, but I dream of a stay in the Australian outback.

[@colinlong1669]

Great vid as always Rob thank you for taking us along cheers

[@Rob.Parsons]

My pleasure colin

[@markpeters7755]

Rob, your video skills are improving ten fold, love it.

[@rogermcard4442]

Absolutely beautiful bush land thanks for showing and explaining panning etc, as you commented on not many people would put themselves in such isolation. Well done Rob and thanks for sharing our great southern land 🙏👍

[@BoobooSnafu]

The gem of this, was seeing my beloved tasmanian rainforest again. 💜 So loved your journey , with the gorgeous scenery shots you take 🤗 It makes me remember the smell 🤩 A diamond may be forever , but experiences fuel your soul. No tassie ice this time , but beauty still beyond compare, around you , so green , so deep , so earthy . Unlike Gold, your experiences will never be lost to you 💜 Thankyou so much for this 🤗

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@peterw2845]

Was always a long shot rob , but hopefully you’ll try again , maybe when the weather warms up again later in the year , we’ve had a good run of late , still warm ! Always great to see the beautiful forest , thanks mate 👍

[@mattclarke1838]

Love your work Rob. You showcase what makes Tas so unique. Great adventures in to the wilds. Peace ✌️

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks Matt!

[@taleandclawrock2606]

What a stunningly beautiful mountain creek and forest...that first crevice you sniped in ( on vid) was just stunning rock layers, gorgeous.

[@andrewc7369]

Great stuff Rob. Really appreciate the time you must take to get all those great shots.

[@TheAm3313]

Another absolutely amazing video! Love all your videos and watching you showcase the quieter and lesser known areas of Tassie. You'll find that diamond one day!

[@DR-nh6oo]

How long will they be quieter with mining companies getting green lights and every other second bastard feeling that fever? Digging it up for material gain is a poor showcase in my opinion.

[@ralphquinney2337]

Great stuff rob not only visually but historically !

[@AMProspecting]

Love the areas you explore, always makes for a great video. Alot of hard work and dedication. Nice gold, diamond's next time. Thanks for sharing

[@jarradchugg4541]

Awesome film Rob!

[@BruceschultzAU]

Another awesome adventure Rob, Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Cheers mate

[@Rob.Parsons]

My pleasure Bruce. I can’t have these ideas goto the grave 👍

[@BruceschultzAU]

@@Rob.Parsons no mate you never want to die wondering.

[@evertmetz6251]

Really like your historical aspect, excellent footage and now subscibed along with Tassie Boys, well done.

[@bigstusadventures3401]

Another amazing video Rob. Beautiful looking spot and well worth the effort

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks Stu!

[@robbie8142]

Thanks Rob. I was glued to the screen right to the end. 🇭🇲🤗

[@m.g5818]

I have been binge watching all your videos, last few nights.🤗😝 Amazing videos, I am going to organise a trip to Tasmania and come for a look.👍

[@AdamEdington]

Love your attitude, going in where helicopters fear to tread. "That's never stopped us before"

[@DR-nh6oo]

The helicopters are allowed anywhere now. People pat themselves on the back for doing these great trecks across the wilderness of lutruwita while having their gourmet meals dropped in by helicopter on the way. Over entitlement is ruing these places.

[@razorback0z]

Excellent as usual. Thanks.

[@dinapanizza4276]

YUP!… Definitely up to your usual extremely high standard Rob. As always I really enjoyed the incredible story and research at the beginning of the video and the scenery was SPECTACULAR! That Harvey Creek looked like something out of a fairytale. Shame you didn’t find a diamond and anyone who thinks prospecting is easy better think again. Totally enjoyed this adventure 👍🏽😊Thanks Rob!

[@jcampbellshale]

I love your dedication to adventure and history. Good onya😊

[@doughunwick766]

great way to spend your time ,in the wild open wilderness

[@gippy6105]

Great video and superb effort great respect.

[@aracnoloco]

Very beautiful landscape and cool adventure finding at least some gold. I was amazed to see how much gear (packraft, tent etc.) you got out of your rucksack :-)

[@shevaunlorne2234]

That was really interesting. I loved your drone footage as well.

[@tazyt3388]

Great vid bro it’s a very different game down there ,brilliant but hard going too good effort Rob cheers

[@jasondilworth2767]

Just randomly came across this video , loved it . Will be following and watching your other videos now

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks Jason!

[@kathkay67]

Who knew our little state holds all these treasures to be found, cant wait for the next adventure!

[@GR19611]

Great video and rediscovered Mitis sound chill step.

[@elizabethsmith583]

Brilliant video by an amazing young man! Thank you 🙏

[@Rob.Parsons]

☺️

[@keithdrower9120]

You are so lucky. What a great adventure. Thanks for showing us your incredible Island.

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks for watching!

[@traceynorton4114]

You deserve to find diamonds or anything you look for. This was another awesome video. Thanks Rob

[@terry8728]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Great video Rob, your cable cam shots are awesome! Hope you had better luck on Flinders. Not quite the same as a proper diamond, but still cool!

[@davidwheeler7184]

My new fav channel

[@colinwilson8747]

Beautiful!!!

[@robinyoung7007]

What an amazing place that's so beautiful, great video thanks for sharing.

[@Rob.Parsons]

Not wrong robin. Absolutely gorgeous area. Glad you like it mate cheer

[@Upsidedownorangejuice]

Man the adventure and history of this is fascinating. Sure it was worth the mahi(hard work) for just the exploration.

[@Rob.Parsons]

Definitely was worth the trip just for the scenery 😃

[@martinsapsitis4292]

PS cheers Jay great review comparison and follow up from previous review.

[@Nowisthetime212]

Awesome videography!! Inspiring stuff mate

[@Rob.Parsons]

Cheers mate!

[@goldsniper2681]

Some nice looking ground there. Drone and line footage is awesome mate. !! 🤿🤿👍🏾👍🏾

[@Rob.Parsons]

Cheers Stu!

[@The_Stoic_Philosopher68]

I never knew this! Fascinating.

[@sydthegoat6773]

Excellent bro, love Tassie.

[@georgestone2083]

Love that country you have their. Reminds me of lost times. Just beautiful

[@colinvandenhoff6343]

Awesome video Rob.....as we all say....we're spoilt livin in a fabulous State with so much underexplored wilderness. And we can do it in a way which only leaves footprints. Searching for diamonds and come home with gold....not a bad trip n pretty neat reward for effort. Kept it up young fella

[@poorfellamycountry]

Thanks Rob, I'm exhausted after watching that reckon I'll sleep well too! The Pieman also has recorded diamonds although small and far between, the source of them must be an interesting story in itself hopefully one day we'll know it.

[@surfnrak.com.a]

Awesome mate🤙

[@chaoslab]

Nice adventure. Gorgeous footage as always. Maybe next time?

[@aidanquick3151]

Awesome vid man

[@paulcatalano1441]

Awesome vid man after seeing how dense that place is gives me hope that a tassie tiger is out there

[@joycegiles4595]

I always enjoy you videos ❤🌺

[@Goethite_A]

One thing you may like to know is that diamonds, can be somewhat hydrophobic. That means that sometimes, even though they are heavy with a SG of 3.4, they can float and get be washed out of your pan. A drop of dishwashing detergent helps. When exploring for diamonds we would sometimes use a jigging technique to concentrate diamonds, along with sapphires, zircon, topaz, and other heavies. Done correctly these minerals concentrate in an "eye" in the centre of the bottom layer on the screen. If you find a diamond it will stand out from the background of glassy quartz, as diamonds is much more lustrous with a almost metallic appearance, called a submetallic lustre.

[@roberthayward9299]

Diamonds can also have a lustre of their own, the "adamintine lustre". My best guess is that Tasmanian diamonds are likely metamorphic in origin.

[@Goethite_A]

I would be interested to know under what conditions one can produce metamorphic diamonds, and bring them to the surface in metamorphic rock. There are places where rocks of very deep origin contain psuedomorphs after diamonds but the diamonds are not preserved. Some rare small diamonds can also form by shock metamorphism, for example by meteorite impact, but otherwise diamonds need to be transported to the surface by extremely rapid igneous processes, or they will be resorbed. There is a theory that diamonds can be formed in subduction zones where cool material is transported into the diamond stability field, and carbonaceous material is metamorphosed into diamond. However it still needs to be rapidly transported to the surface in an igneous event. This has been postulated as the origin of Australian East Coast diamonds. Agree about the lustre, adamantine is the professional term, but it may not be easily visualised from common experience if one has not seen natural diamond.

[@roberthayward9299]

@@Goethite_A Thanks for the prompt reply. I read an article in the Australian Journal of Earth Science quite a few years ago when I was a member of the Geological Society. I no longer have the hard copy but I have found a link to the abstract. I'll post the link at the end of this reply. From memory, subduction of carbonaceous of sediment into the high pressure/low temperature stability field for diamond formation which coincides with greenschist/blueschist metamorphic facies. As I recall, the mechanism proposed for bringing these metamorphic diamonds to the surface was inclusion of country rock xenoliths in magma followed by rapid eruption. Cheers and thanks for the response. www.researchgate.net/publication/237760967_Subduction_model_for_the_origin_of_some_diamonds_in_the_Phanerozoic_of_eastern_New_South_Wales#:~:text=A%20subduction%20diamond%20model%20is%20developed%20to%20explain,resulting%20in%20the%20development%20of%20a%20low-temperature%20metamorphic

[@hybridgoth]

I'll be happy to act as devil's advocate here, diamonds can have an adamantine, or, as you mentioned, a sub-metallic lustre, you're all correct 👍 Not that anyone asked, but, a metallic lustre is the most reflective followed by sub-metallic then adamantine, diamonds are often seen to exhibit a sub-metallic lustre when rough.

[@BigfootDigger]

Well done great treck loved the video..

[@ChasingCheetahs]

Another great adventure Rob 👍🏻

[@Rob.Parsons]

Cheers Luke 🥂

[@joycegiles4595]

Beautiful scenery love this video 👧♥️

[@rodgeorge7244]

What an amazing area keep up the good work .

[@Rob.Parsons]

Agreed rod, stunning area. Cheers

[@chrisfrench2130]

Never give up my friend the reward is always most pleasant. Keep on diggin on. You remind me of my younger self 20 years ago lol.

[@richardwalsh5570]

Awesome Rob

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks Richard ✌️

[@thijmenstolk3201]

Great video rob, im curious what techniques you will try next time for the Diamonds. Collect in buckets, Sieve, sarukah, take the heavys, dry in the sun and check with sunlight? Looking forward to the next adventure

[@snowfox94]

I love watching your videos much the music makes me space out and do other things

[@sanciadrobina5194]

Really enjoyed your adventure - great effort (I was exhausted watching you lol) 👏👏👏

[@brandonjackson1434]

Nice trip ,we got some alluvial diamonds here in the Midwest of USA,and they too are rare,I read in a geological survey book that my great great grand father found a nice one in the 1880s,what it must have been like then,great show thank you

[@ThomasTheFapEngine]

Had no idea this was so close to me, I might have to go out for an exploration of my own at some point :)

[@bobbeach1159]

loved the video

[@wisehealer]

another awesome video!

[@PepitaDeoro777]

Amazing thanks for adventure

[@chrisflesser]

Another awesome adventure Rob. I'm surprised that you took a pan, rather than mesh screens though, when looking for gemstones. They would have been more suited, to the task at hand.👌

[@Wello26]

Time for a new thermal? Great video again. I love the drone shots over the forest.

[@Rob.Parsons]

Oh yeah I got a couple new ones but that one really loves the scrub 😂 👍

[@2603018]

How the hell are you not over 100k Subs? This shit excites me! I absolutely love you videos! I cant wait to visit Tassie in the future.

[@Rob.Parsons]

THANKS!

[@bradday3832]

Good hard work

[@MrHiss2011]

Awesome Rob , great cinematography as always, As they say Diamond's are Forever ask any lady in our life.

[@Rob.Parsons]

That's exactly right Peter!

[@hybridgoth]

Diamonds can be tricky to pan when looking for tiny ones, unlike sapphires/topaz, diamonds are somewhat hydrophobic so you can't expect them to sit still with your other heavies like gold when panning quickly. It's one of the reasons why grease tables are used, they love the grease, hate the water. A sieve would likely be a little easier than a pan for finding gems anyhow.

[@andrewcarter439]

Wow man, awesome content, i live in Hobart, can't wait to get out and do what you do, I got all the gear and no idea 🤔🤣🤣

[@kerriemills1310]

Excellent camera work and music application, amazing good, I liked how you showed your Hiking 🥾 bag and gear as well. Paddle and quick blow up boat 🛶 wow 🤩 Thank You for sharing and showing this. I bet it all smelt fresh a amazing 🌿🌱🌿

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks Kerrie yeah the old rainforests all smell very damn from the decomposed myrtle. I love the smell. Thanks for watching!

[@nicdossantos5023]

Great video rob I’ve been told you know when u have a diamond as they repel water hope that helps in future adventures

[@iancrump4369]

Awesome stuff mate 😎👌

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks for watching Ian!

[@trosen5339]

Great video and I’m glad you shared it with us. I wonder if your diamond finding technique is off. All other videos I have seen use a fine mesh sieve and they rock it back and forth to get the heavy gems in the center and then flip it over to find the gem on top in the center. Maybe give it another shot and try that. I hope you find a huge diamond 👍

[@jharper9899]

Did you not take a uv light with you? Love the scenery you lot in tazzy live in the garden of the gods. Truly. Enjoyed it.

[@robbiefatt]

Awesome videos man! Have you ever thought of leaving some trail cams in any of those remote regions you go to since you guys heard that potential Thylacine yipping near the Jane River?

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks mate, yeah I was meant to leave my 2 cameras down the Jane on the last trip but I left it too late. I'm planning to go back on an expedition purely for thylacines in the near future and will leave them down there then.

[@robbiefatt]

@@Rob.Parsons You’re a champ! Super excited for that! I just did the drive from Waratah to Arthur River via Corinna two days ago so I get the type of remote country out there. Would be cool to collab on a future video sometime 👌

[@dhincks1]

Looking for crystal classifying is productive. Cheers from Northern California!!!

[@JoeyDatsun1]

Awesome video mate 😎

[@Rob.Parsons]

Thanks mate!

[@mohunter68]

Honestly I don't care what you are doing or going after, I just really enjoy watching you going into uncharted territory in search of the Big Haul and I believe that if you keep pushing forward you will find it. Whether you find diamonds or gold, I think you are on the right track. Just keep pushing forward and never look back.

[@fijaystudio]

wow. Beautiful film/photography, esp the water shots. Imagine doing that trip in 1894, no wetsuit, no inflatable, no hooks! It would have been all beef jerk and broken legs I think. Good on you to get to such an inaccessible creek

[@Rob.Parsons]

The old timers really had it tough. They packed for weeks not days, heavy equipment, no form of communication, no modern technology for navigation. Just unreal. What I do is nothing compared to those men.

[@fijaystudio]

@@Rob.Parsons It Ain't nothing, compared or not, you're incredible and they were incredible (I was a librarian archivist and had access to a lot of old documentation)

[@uluengamotuliki5469]

Cool spot

[@jasminefeliciano5035]

Hope you go back there Maybe try a different area for there I’m sure you’ll find a diamond and who knows might end up being a good spot with lots of gold too 😁 love the video too

[@peteralmond4373]

Hard luck mate, you went hard its enjoyable but hard work, good luck on your next gurney bro.

[@robm7163]

that's awesome Rob, great video. if you ever up Brisbane way prospecting please let me now ill join you :-)