Share information about Gem/Mineral/Fossil fields in Tasmania here.
Tasmania
- Thread starter HarriL
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
Two good places to get started are:
Mineral Resources Tasmania's page on Fossicking areas: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/en/fossicking-areas
Their booklet, free to download (not a lot more info): http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/en/fossicking-areas-in-tasmania
Occurrences of Gemstone Minerals in Tasmania, by Ralph Bottrill and Lloyd Matthews: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/do...S_V8.pdf/2e719519-eafb-4002-baac-6ce3dd994150
Mineral Resources Tasmania's page on Fossicking areas: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/en/fossicking-areas
Their booklet, free to download (not a lot more info): http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/en/fossicking-areas-in-tasmania
Occurrences of Gemstone Minerals in Tasmania, by Ralph Bottrill and Lloyd Matthews: http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au/portal/do...S_V8.pdf/2e719519-eafb-4002-baac-6ce3dd994150
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2016
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Find a few stones and get them cut as cheap as you can into whatever sizes possible.Anybody know of somebody in the NE of Tasmania,i suppose it must be a gemologist that can do cheap stone valuations for a peasant backyard gemstone operation? any thoughts or ideas much appreciated.Cheers
- Joined
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I am a bit puzzled by what you are saying diggin' - as in "Find a few stones and get them cut as cheap as you can ..." What you are seemingly asking for is a facetor or cabochoner to do cheap work? Is that right?
Or is it for a beginner to undersell their work and do stone at a cheap rate?
I am not sure which way you are going with this. Most of us that cut sort of value our work, the time that is put into it, the effort and products that are used - they all cost money.
Cheap work is done in Thailand and India, for instance, because their cost of living is cheaper, polish compound may be cheaper, electricity, etc, but here in Australia is a different story.
I facet for $20 a carat. I used to cut for $10 and then $15, a long time ago and the field cutters are charging up at the $50ct rate. Now to cut a 1 ct stone for $20 is a bargain, you are looking at something like a day to do a stone, culet to crown about 5 hours work so we are looking at $4 / hour return on our work. Gets nasty eh? Any teenager would not get out of bed for that.
Then the stone has to be set, plus the value of the stone itself, unless it is beach glass. Even a silverwireist will charge upwards of $50 to wrap a stone. A jeweller does not set a stone cheaply and even the setting itself has a price and then we pay to have it set in the prongs or bevel, unless we do our own setting, even silver is not cheap.
There is no attack on you in what I am saying, I am just a bit puzzled and the facts get in the way and don't make a pretty story.
Now, for "cheap stone valuations" a gemologist does not value cheaply, but the cheapest way is to set a price per carat on what is the nominal or trading price per ct of the stone that one is selling. It would not pay to go to a gemologist for a valuation for a stone that one wants to sell for less that what a valuer would charge.
:|
Or is it for a beginner to undersell their work and do stone at a cheap rate?
I am not sure which way you are going with this. Most of us that cut sort of value our work, the time that is put into it, the effort and products that are used - they all cost money.
Cheap work is done in Thailand and India, for instance, because their cost of living is cheaper, polish compound may be cheaper, electricity, etc, but here in Australia is a different story.
I facet for $20 a carat. I used to cut for $10 and then $15, a long time ago and the field cutters are charging up at the $50ct rate. Now to cut a 1 ct stone for $20 is a bargain, you are looking at something like a day to do a stone, culet to crown about 5 hours work so we are looking at $4 / hour return on our work. Gets nasty eh? Any teenager would not get out of bed for that.
Then the stone has to be set, plus the value of the stone itself, unless it is beach glass. Even a silverwireist will charge upwards of $50 to wrap a stone. A jeweller does not set a stone cheaply and even the setting itself has a price and then we pay to have it set in the prongs or bevel, unless we do our own setting, even silver is not cheap.
There is no attack on you in what I am saying, I am just a bit puzzled and the facts get in the way and don't make a pretty story.
Now, for "cheap stone valuations" a gemologist does not value cheaply, but the cheapest way is to set a price per carat on what is the nominal or trading price per ct of the stone that one is selling. It would not pay to go to a gemologist for a valuation for a stone that one wants to sell for less that what a valuer would charge.
:|
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Hello, I am interested in whether anyone here has gone into the designated fossicking areas on the west coast and, if you have, are they good to go to for a relatively new fossicker? Obviously cant go at the moment but when weather rolls around into Spring, I would be keen to see what is there. I am new to faceting so keen to find quartz or other material that I can practice on. I have been up to Gladstone once, but only for a brief look on way back from Derby. Keen to go back up there again as well. I will go on lapidary club field trips when they restart but also like to go on my own or, if someone was keen, go with someone else.
