Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Not only Australia has got numerous popular tourist destinations but the country is also well-known for the rich deposits of Australian gemstones and minerals in its oceans and grounds.
Sapphires, rubies, jades, opals, diamonds, and pearls are some of the most notable gemstones that are mined in Australia. Plenty of people in Australia also have a hobby of collecting gemstones and if you are one of them, you can also purchase some of the best unpolished raw gems in this part of the world.
Here is a look at some Australian gemstones that enjoy widespread popularity in Australia.
Rubies (Australian Gemstones)
The ruby gemstone, also known as manik can be found at numerous locations in and around New South Wales, including spots like New England area, Cudgegong Rivers, Macquarie and Tumbarumba.
Gloucester has got the maximum deposits of rubies in Australia, along the drainage of Barrington volcano. The Barrington/Gloucester region is known for its rich deposits of rubies, sapphires and gold. Along with rubies, pink sapphires can be found occasionally in New England.
Pearls
Pearl gemstones have been commercially harvested in Australia since the 19th century. At one point of time most of the pearls came from Western Australia and Queensland. Nowadays high quality South Sea pearls can be found in the northern waters of Australia.
Pearls are now also harvested close to Darwin in Northern Territory. Most of the pearls that are harvested in Australia are found in striking shades like gold, pink, cream and silver. These pearls are extremely beautiful and can go well with a wide range of occasions.
Opal
Opals are widely held to be the national gemstone for the continent of Australia. The Opal stone symbolizes Australia in every possible way as far as the rich deposits of gems and minerals are concerned. More than 90% of opals in the world are harvested from Australia.
Different variety of opal can be found here in Australia. Some of the most notable variants of opals include matrix opals, boulder opals, crystal opals, black opals and white opals. Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy and Andamooka are known for their extensive resources of opals.
Plenty of the leading jewelry stores in Australia offer an extensive collection of opal jewelry in the forms of necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and pendants.
Diamonds (Australian Gemstones)
Diamonds are by far some of the most popular gemstones when it comes to engagement rings. Plenty of people love to wear diamonds in various other forms like earrings, pendants and necklaces.
Argyle diamond mine is a notable mine in Western Australia that is famed for diamond production. In fact, Argyle mine is the largest producer of diamonds by volume. Diamonds are often combined with opals to create stunning jewelry.
Sapphires
Along with opals, pearls and diamonds, Australia is also a major producer of different types of sapphires. There was a time when Australia was the largest producer of sapphires in the world.
However, over the years such a prestigious position was taken over by Madagascar. Currently, most of the sapphires in Australia are obtained from two primary fields in Queensland and New South Wales.
Blue sapphires are some of the most notable sapphire Australian gemstones found in Australia. The country also has rich resources of Parti Sapphires which combines both yellow and blue shades.
Jade
Australia has got rich deposits of green jade that are notable for their bright shades. They are used extensively for manufacturing jewelry items of various types.
They are also popular when it comes to the manufacturing and designing of decorative items. It is important to note that jades in Australia come in two variants; nephrite and jadeite.
