Ever since sapphires were discovered in the creek and gullies west of Glen Innes, professional and amateur fossickers have been drawn to the area in search of the deep blue stones for which Glen Innes is famous.
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In its heyday Glen Innes miners provided more than half of the world’s sapphires, according to Glen Innes tourism events manager Peter Teschner.
“In the 1960s, Glen Innes was home to more than 100 commercial miners and 17 full-time gem traders,” he said.
“They produced about 60 per cent of the world’s sapphires in the ’60s and ’70s.”
According to the Minerama website, most of the stones are found in a layer of earth called the wash, which sits between the clay bed and the subsoil.
Culverts created by creeks expose the layers of earth, making it easy to dig into the wash.
You don’t need much equipment to go fossicking. Basic gear includes a sieve, a miner’s pick, a scratching blade, a shovel and a bucket.
Either bring your own or, if you don’t have any, hire your gear in town.