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Australia is home to several renowned fossicking sites where travellers can try their luck at discovering a deposit of colourful gems. Rock crystal and smoky quartz are found in all states, while amethyst and citrine are less common. Mooralla in Victoria, Hanging Rock in New South Wales, and Agate Creek in Queensland are some of the places in Australia where quartz has been found.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| States in Australia where Quartz is found | Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia |
| Locations in Queensland | Agate Creek fossicking area, Etheridge Shire |
| Locations in Victoria | Mooralla, Southern Grampians Shire |
| Locations in New South Wales | Maurers Mine, Kingsgate District, Marks & Vickery Prospect, Kingsgate, Gough Co., Yarrow River Molybdenite (Yarrow River), Kingsgate, Gough Co., Hanging Rock, Nundle, Glendowda Station, Tambar Springs, Pottinger Co., Oberon |
| Locations in Western Australia | Mine site in Western Australia visited by Kirsty McMullan and her partner Patrick |
| Types of Quartz found in Australia | Smoky Quartz, Rock Crystal Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine |
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Mooralla, Victoria
Mooralla Quartz Points are found in Rhyolite geodes, which are decomposing rhyolite. The treasured smoky quartz "geodes" have been highly sought after since the 1960s. The Mooralla crystals are known for their strong vibrations and are believed to have metaphysical properties, such as reducing stress and improving intuition.
The area is accessible via a rough track, which can be challenging to travel on, especially after wet weather. It is an old tin mining area with quartz and cassiterite veins in granites, mostly mined about 100 years ago and long abandoned. Good quartz crystals are occasionally found by fossickers in the area.
Mooralla is located west of the Grampians in western Victoria. The Grampians, also known as Gariwerd, is a mountainous region in western Victoria, Australia. The region is known for its sandstone mountains, wildflowers, and abundant wildlife, including kangaroos and cockatoos. The Grampians National Park covers a significant portion of the region and offers various outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and wildlife watching.
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New South Wales
Quartz is found all over Australia, in every state, and New South Wales is no exception. Rock crystal and smoky quartz are among the varieties found in the state.
One of the best areas in New South Wales for crystals is Nundle, a former gold mining town located about 10 km southeast of Hanging Rock, an old gold mining village and rock face on the Northern Tablelands. Nundle was established in 1852 when gold was discovered at "The Hanging Rock" and nearby Swamp Creek. Some gold and other precious stones that can be found in the area include zircons, green jasper, sapphires, and serpentine minerals. Fine quartz specimens have also been found at Nundle, as well as attractive chalcedony, cornelian, agate, and jasper.
The CSA Mine, an underground copper mine located in Cobar, Central Western NSW, is another place in New South Wales where quartz can be found. The mine started production in 1871, but its output was erratic until 1964, when Broken Hill South Ltd began large-scale production.
In addition, the Blue Hill quarry in Oberon, Westmoreland County, New South Wales, is known for its smoky quartz crystals. These crystals are found in north-south striking quartz veins cutting metasediments of Ordovician age. The quartz veins are genetically related to fluids from nearby granitic intrusions of carboniferous age. While veins up to one meter wide have been discovered, most are between a few centimeters and thirty centimeters.
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Queensland
Quartz is the most common mineral on Earth and is present in a wide range of rocks and gemstones. It can occur in small to very large crystals (crystalline) or as fine-grained material with crystals invisible to the unaided eye (microcrystalline). Crystalline quartz is often colourless, but it can also be milky white, purple, yellow, orange, brown, black, or, rarely, pink.
In Queensland, Australia, quartz can be found in the Gemfields, located in Central Queensland, 285 km west of Rockhampton. There are 11 local fossicking areas in the Gemfields, many of which yield multicoloured sapphires and zircon. Beginners can hire equipment and get advice at Blue Hollow Mine, near the Big Bessie fossicking area.
Quartz can also be found in the Cloncurry Shire of Queensland, specifically at Amethyst Kuridala. Additionally, the Agate Creek fossicking area in Etheridge Shire, Queensland, is known for quartz. The Ashton quarry in Queensland is another site where quartz has been found.
Some other sites in Queensland that have yielded fine-grained quartz are Mount Isa, the Mary Kathleen District, Hightville, Crystal Mountain, Starra (Selwyn), the Southern Downs Region, Thulimba, and the Flinders Ranges.
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Western Australia
Quartz is found all over Australia, in a variety of forms, and is the most common mineral. In Western Australia, the Ashburton River area is known for its fine amethyst, which is used for both gemstones and mineral specimens. The region also yields chrysoprase, a green-hued stone, from several localities. Silicified rocks, such as jaspilite and tiger iron, are also found in Western Australia and are used for ornamental purposes.
Chert, a fine-grained sedimentary rock, is found in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Ribbon stone, an attractive banded variety of chert, is found in Mooka Station, Western Australia.
Quartz is also found in the form of thunder eggs, which are weathered from volcanic rocks. These can be found in Boggabri, New South Wales, and in several sites in Queensland.
Fine quartz specimens have been found at Nundle, New South Wales, along with attractive chalcedony, cornelian, agate, and jasper. Amethyst, a variety of quartz, can be found in Victoria, with particularly good specimens from Mooralla and Amethyst Castle. Smoky quartz has also been found in Victoria, in the form of "Baxter Prospect" in Olary, and in New South Wales, near Plumbago Homestead.
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Old mine sites
Australia has several old mine sites where quartz can be found. One such site is Hanging Rock, a former gold mining village and rock face on the Northern Tablelands in New South Wales. This area is known for yielding various precious stones, including zircons, green jasper, sapphires, and serpentine minerals, in addition to quartz.
In Queensland, the Agate Creek fossicking area in the Etheridge Shire is known for its quartz. This site welcomes visitors who are interested in searching for gemstones. Another notable location in Queensland is The Gemfields, situated 285 kilometres west of Rockhampton. This region is particularly renowned for its sapphires, and it offers several fossicking areas that yield multicoloured sapphires and zircons.
For those seeking quartz, old mine sites near the banks of Elizabeth and O'Briens creeks, approximately 280 kilometres north-west of Townsville, are worth exploring. These areas were once worked by tin miners who valued the topaz, aquamarine, and smoky quartz found there less than other gemstones. As a result, nice specimens of these stones can now be discovered near the former mine sites.
Additionally, Mooralla in the Southern Grampians Shire of Victoria is known for its smoky quartz. This area is an old tin mining region with quartz and cassiterite veins in granites, mostly mined about a century ago and long abandoned. Despite being less common than smoky quartz in Australia, amethyst and citrine can also be found in certain locations, such as specific mine sites in Western Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Quartz can be found in various states across Australia, including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia.
Quartz can be found in several locations in New South Wales, including Hanging Rock, an old gold mining village in the Northern Tablelands, and the CSA Mine, an underground copper mine in Cobar. Nundle, located near the Great Dividing Range, is also known for its crystals.
Yes, the Agate Creek fossicking area in Etheridge Shire is known for quartz. The Gemfields of Central Queensland are also renowned for sapphires and zircon.
Mooralla, in the Southern Grampians Shire, is known for its smoky quartz.
While not specifically quartz, a couple has been visiting a mine site in Western Australia annually to dig for amethyst, a type of crystalline quartz.
