Mining
Mining
Mining for Fossils Gems and Minerals in Australia:
Crystal World Australia has more than 35 active mining leases.
Mining is a hard game ,but there are lots of fun stories we will tell you of our adventures here below.
Mining leases current now:
- Variscite
- Dravite – Schorl Tourmaline
- Fossil Crinoids, 3 leases
- Mookaite
- Brecciated Mookaite
- Prehnite
- Tiger Iron, 2 leases
- Garnet
- Selenite, 3 leases
- Fossil fish and other marine fossils, 3 leases
- Zebra Stone
- Magnetite
- Tiger Eye
- Sphene
- Serpentine and Stichtite
- Marble and Amethyst
- Vivianite
- Selenite
- Kyanite
- Beryl
- Epidote
- Indicolite Tourmaline
Most mineral occurrences are far from any town. Usually hundreds of kilometers from the nearest services.
Life is tough out here, if you get sick or injured, you rely on your mates or the Royal Flying Doctor Service
Hard, long days, and cooking on a campfire – it is real easy to sleep at night on mining leases.
It is worth it when you get the goods!
Would you like to have a crack at mining yourself?
In Australia it is easy to do as a hobby.
FOSSICKING, A UNIQUELY AUSTRALIAN term for prospecting, has been a storied part of this country’s cultural history.
When European settlers became aware of the abundance of precious minerals resting beneath the surface of Australia, they were quick to develop systems to sift through sand, dirt and mud.
Following spurts of enthusiasm and the heady days of the Gold Rush, fossicking is now primarily a hobby, often used by travellers as a means to explore remote corners of the continent.
How to find precious gems
Although everywhere outside New South Wales requires a pre-approved permit, the rules of fossicking are largely unwritten. It remains a low-stakes, hands-on activity that draws families, geologists and metal-detector enthusiasts alike.
Opal in particular is more abundant in Australia than anywhere else on Earth; in fact, Australia produces 97 per cent of the of the world’s supply.
Australians have also taken their adoration of opal to a cultural level. ‘Noodling’ is a term used to describe fossicking solely for opal, and, almost 100 years ago, Coober Pedy was established in SA – an entire community based underground to facilitate access to the opal mines.
These days, striking it rich is less of a possibility. For many, fossicking provides a framework for travel – a focal point to discover the sights of Australia. From the scorching red sand of Harts Range, NT, to Tasmania’s picture-perfect Killiecrankie Bay, sifting for minerals remains one of the finer ways to get to know Australia.
From a great article in Australian Geographic Magazine.
The best place to learn more is your local gem and mineral club, you can find an incomplete list of clubs here.