Lexi Webster
Australia is known for its diverse geology and offers a wide range of fossicking opportunities for beginners and enthusiasts alike. Quartz, both as crystals and fine-grained material, can be found all over the country. Rock crystal and smoky quartz are found in all states, while amethyst and citrine are less common. Some of the most prolific sources of gem-quality quartz in Australia include Kingsgate in north-eastern NSW and the Oban River area in New England. Quartz has also been found at sites in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Quartz type | Rock crystal, smoky quartz, amethyst, citrine, rutilated quartz, pink quartz, green quartz, phantom quartz |
| Quartz found with other minerals | Agate, chalcedony, opal, chrysophrase, chert, ribbon stone, petrified wood, tigers eye |
| Australian states with quartz | New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia |
| Specific locations | Kingsgate, Oban River, Tingha, Broken Hill, Nundle, Ashton Quarry, Inverell, Mount Surprise, Andamooka, Harts Range, Heathcote, Emerald, Cloncurry, Miena, Derby, Agate Creek, Copeton Dam, Tingha Sands |
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Inverell, NSW
Quartz can be found all over Australia, both as crystals and as fine-grained material. Rock crystal and smoky quartz are found in all states, while amethyst and citrine are less common.
The Staggy Creek Fossicking Area, located near Copeton Dam, is another site where you can look for diamonds, black tourmaline, and quartz. This site is approximately 28km from Inverell and is described as a rough, dry area, so it is recommended that you bring your own water.
Wallangra, located 65km north of Inverell, is another place to find quartz. Here, you can hunt for black tourmaline in quartz, although this is another dry fossicking area.
Inverell has been known as a sapphire centre since the 1960s, but sapphires, zircons, quartz, and topaz have been found in the area since the 1870s. The gems occur in the water channels that intersect the basalt country, and stones of all shades of blue and yellow have been found.
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Ashton Quarry, SA
Ashton Quarry in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia was a prolific producer of fine quartz crystal specimens in the 1960s and 1970s. The site is now a private residence and is not accessible to the public. However, quartz crystals from this quarry are available for purchase online, with some specimens featuring a rare extra face.
Quartz is found all over Australia, both as crystals and as fine-grained material. Rock crystal and smoky quartz can be found in all states, while amethyst and citrine are less common. Ashton Quarry was one of the many sites in South Australia that provided high-quality quartz crystals.
The Mount Lofty Ranges, where Ashton Quarry is located, are known for their geological significance. The area is characterised by a range of unique geological features, including hills, valleys, and an abundance of mineral resources. The quarry was likely established to extract these valuable minerals, and quartz, in particular, was a sought-after commodity during the mid-20th century.
Quartz has a wide range of applications, including its use in the creation of gemstones and its previous utilisation in radio communications before being replaced by synthetic quartz. Ashton Quarry likely contributed to the local supply of quartz for these purposes during its operational years.
Today, while the quarry itself is not accessible, the surrounding Mount Lofty Ranges offer scenic views and outdoor recreational opportunities for visitors. The area is known for its natural beauty, and the legacy of Ashton Quarry serves as a reminder of the region's geological and economic significance in South Australia.
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Kingsgate, NSW
Kingsgate, located in north-eastern New South Wales, has been Australia's most prolific source of gem-quality quartz. The Kingsgate mines, situated near Glen Innes, have been a major source of bismuth and molybdenum since the 1870s. The area abounds in rock crystal, smoky quartz, and citrine, with large, clear crystals up to 3 metres long. The clarity of these crystals made them valuable for radio communications equipment during World War II, and they were used for this purpose until synthetic quartz replaced them.
Kingsgate's long mining history is well-documented in numerous reports that reference the presence of quartz crystals. The Kingsgate mineral field was the largest producer of molybdenum and bismuth in New South Wales until 2000, with its heyday from 1905 to 1920. The area has been subdivided into small acreage housing lots since 2020.
The Kingsgate Project covers a large exploration licence area of 104.7 km2 and is located 20km east of Glen Innes, the main town in the Northern Highlands of New South Wales. Exploration companies have conducted extensive work in the area, including detailed mapping, soil sampling, and geophysical surveys.
Fine specimens of Kingsgate quartz can be found in collections all over the world. The mines and their dumps continue to yield an array of minerals, and the dumps are still worked for facettable quartz crystals. However, recent mining exploration has restricted public access to the area, except under strict supervision on rare occasions.
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Oban River, New England
Quartz can be found all over Australia, and the country is home to many sites that provide high-quality material. One of these sites is the Oban River in New England, New South Wales. The Oban River is a watercourse that is part of the Clarence River catchment and flows through the New England and Northern Tablelands districts. The river rises below Mount Duncan in the Great Dividing Range and flows northeast towards its confluence with the Sara River, within the Guy Fawkes River National Park and Chaelundi National Park.
The Oban River area in New England has been a prolific source of gem-quality quartz. The quartz found in this region includes rock crystal, smoky quartz, and citrine, with large, clear crystals up to 3 meters long. The quartz from this area is not only suitable for gemstones but also for use in radio communications due to its high purity.
In addition to the Oban River, there are other notable sites for finding fine-grained quartz in Australia. These include Murwillumbah, Boggabri, Drake, and Murrurundi, where various forms of quartz such as agate, chalcedony, and thunder eggs can be found.
It is important to note that the Oban River in New England should be distinguished from the Ann (Oban) River, as they are considered separate mineral deposits. The Oban River in New South Wales is specifically known for its occurrence of smoky quartz. This area is also associated with other minerals such as tourmaline, arsenopyrite, bismuth, cassiterite, and corundum.
The latitude and longitude of the Oban River in Oban, Clarke Co., New South Wales, are provided as follows: 30° 5' 49'' South and 151° 57' 7'' East in the WGS84 coordinate system, or -30.09694,151.95194 in decimal degrees. This information can be useful for those interested in the geographic location of the river and its surrounding mineral deposits.
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Nundle, NSW
The Hanging Rock, which is about 11km from Nundle, is a notable landmark in the region. The road to the rock passes old mullock heaps, evidence of past gold mining activities, and leads to a scenic vantage point overlooking a chasm and valley. The nearby Ponderosa Forest Park offers walking trails, camping facilities, and access to the Zircon Gully Fossicking Area.
Nundle is located within a prolific source of gem-quality quartz in north-eastern NSW, with Kingsgate being another significant site. This area, including the Oban River region in New England, has yielded large, clear crystals of rock crystal, smoky quartz, and citrine, which have been used for gemstones and radio communications. Quartz is also distributed over a vast area stretching from the New England plateau to Stanthorpe, Queensland, with amethyst found around Broken Hill, NSW.
Quartz is the most common mineral on Earth, found in a wide range of rocks and gemstones. It can occur in crystalline or fine-grained forms, with colours ranging from colourless to milky white, purple, yellow, orange, brown, black, or rarely, pink. Fine-grained and crystalline quartz are often found together, as in thunder eggs, which are weathered from volcanic rocks. Australia-wide, chalcedony, agate, and jasper can be found, with some sites providing high-quality material.
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Frequently asked questions
Quartz can be found all over Australia, both as crystals and as fine-grained material. Rock crystal and smoky quartz are found in all states, while amethyst and citrine are less common. Some of the most popular locations for fossicking quartz in Australia include Inverell, NSW, and Mount Surprise, QLD.
Fossicking is prospecting carried out as a recreational activity to find naturally occurring precious stones, minerals, and fossils.
Australia offers an expansive array of fossicking opportunities. Some other stones that can be found when fossicking for quartz include sapphires, opals, gold, diamonds, topaz, turquoise, jasper, garnets, zircon, and agate.
Rock crystal is colourless and transparent, whereas smoky quartz is grey-brown in colour.
