19/05/2026
Before you go: 10 must-know fossicking tips for the Sapphire Gemfields 💎
1. Start at a fossicking park. You'll learn the basics: how to wash, sieve and spot a sapphire. If you're short on time, this is genuinely your best option. ⏱️
2. Ready to go further? Jump on a tag-along tour. A local miner will take you out to the 'fields, show you where sapphires hide and probably tell you a yarn or two while they're at it.
3. Ready to go rogue? Grab a fossicking licence online (yes, it's cheap, yes it's easy), pack some basic gear and head for the designated fossicking areas. Out here they'll tell you: you don't find sapphires. You earn them. 💪
4. Raw sapphires look nothing like the ones in jewellery stores - dull, waxy, easily mistaken for rocks. Many have been tossed aside. Hold any suspect stone up to the sun before you do the same. ☀️
5. Fossick in the morning. The sun is bright white before midday - that's your best friend for catching a glint in the wash.
6. It's not a one-stone show. Blues, greens, yellows, parti sapphires, zircons, quartz - the Sapphire Gemfields has range.
7. Had rain recently? Get out and 'speck'. Gems wash to the surface and the ground practically does the work for you.
8. When in doubt, ask a local. Gemmies love nothing more than talking stones. You might get a tip, a story, or an invitation for a cuppa. ☕
9. Winter is peak season, but summer fossickers know something the crowds don't. Just start early, drink more water than you think you need and pace yourself.
10. The fun doesn't have to stop when you leave... you can buy bags of wash to take home.
Fair warning: fossicking is addictive. Don't be surprised if you find yourself back here next year. 😅
Save this for later 📌 Start planning → bit.ly/explorecqh-gemmies
📷 Sarah Duguid
Queensland Country Great Inland Way Drive Queensland
