Photos: Toowoomba fossickers in their ‘element’ at Gemfest 2023
Gemstone, mineral, fossil and crystal enthusiasts were out in force at the weekend when Gemfest returned to Toowoomba. Check out all the photos we captured on the day here.
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Avid collectors of stunning gemstones, sparkly crystals and textured fossils were out in force at the weekend when Gemfest returned to the Garden City.
Among the crowds was local woman Wanita Judge who first started her fossicking journey three years ago on a “spur-of-the-moment” trip to the New England area of NSW.
But it was just six months ago on a trip to Kings Plains when Ms Judge found her favourite piece to date – a bright red stone which she had identified by the Toowoomba Lapidary Club on Saturday.
“The man who cut it for me thought it may be a ruby because of the colour, but it turned out to be a red zircon,” she said.
“You tend to find a lot of zircons on fossicking trips, but the red colour is very unusual and certainly a colour I haven’t seen before.
“It’s a lovely stone that looks like fire when the red flashes in the light.”
The fossicker had the stunning 1.6 carat stone set into a ring at Gemfest.
Fascinated by the art of lapidary, Ms Judge said she hoped to join the Toowoomba club herself one day.
See all the photos we captured at the event below.
Gallery:
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