Australia is a go-to place for anyone intending to buy high-quality Australian precious stones. Not only is there a great demand for Australian gemstones, but this land also possesses some of the rarest crystals present on the planet. As is apparent, where there is demand, suppliers find ways to fill that gap.

There are abundant gemstone suppliers in Australia. But which gemstones are the most profitable ones and in demand? How to find genuine gemstones for sale there? How can you contact gemstone suppliers and whom to trust? Which ones are readily available in Australia?

By the end of this article, you will have clear answers to these questions. 

Types of Gemstones in Australia

Whether you are a buyer or a seller of gemstones, having a thorough knowledge of the different types of gemstones becomes essential. It will help you identify your needs and buy the best type accordingly. Let’s have a look at these precious Australian gemstones one by one.

Cabochons: Cabochons are famous for their domed top and flat base. Their oval or sometimes round shapes are used for a few types of sheen.

Mineral Slabs: These are generally used for ornamental gemstones due to their raw nature. They can further be cut to make cabochons.

Gemstone Roughs: Faceted like a traditional gem in a jewellery piece, they can be cut and polished for clarity or lustre. 

Faceted Gemstones: These are high-quality gemstones, ready to be used for a piece of jewellery. They have a pavilion, crown, culet, table, and girdle. The crown is the top part of these gemstones above the girdle. The pavilion and culet hide beneath the scattered light. 

Gemstones Rough: These are the raw products of faceted gemstones. They are again cut and polished for lustre.

Organic Gemstones: Pearl, jet, amber, coral, ammolite, and ivory are several of these organically produced gemstones.

Ornamental Gemstones: These gemstones come with beautiful patterns but lack transparency, unlike the other ones. They are usually cut into cabochons. Examples of Ornamental gemstones can be tiger iron, rose quartz, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.

Crystals: They come with definite external geometric forms and faces. Their earthy colours and patterns provide them with their eccentricity. 

Geodes: These are pretty big hollow volcanic rocks that are cut in halves. They are used for decorative displays.

Popular Australian Gemstones

Let’s have a look at the popular Australian Gemstones before understanding more about the dealers and places to purchase them.

Australian Black Opal: Being the national gemstone of Australia since 1993, Australia has been a hub for the most precious opals in the world. One of the most famous opals present there is the Black Opal from Lightning Ridge. Its colour with a dark background provides a combination that is unparalleled.

Australian South Sea Pearl: Found in the pristine waters of the Northern coast of Western Australia, these precious Australian stones are one of the most widely grown stones there. 

Australian Parti Sapphire: Australian sapphires have been prevalent and in demand for a long time now. That land was one of the first places where the Sapphire reserves were found. Their distinctive green, blue or yellow colours give them their name. 

Australian Jade: These Jades are also referred to as Chrysoprase. They are a green variety of Chalcedony and are abundantly found in Queensland.

Australian Pink Diamond: Less than 0.1% of the mined diamonds in Australia are pink. The Diamonds are highly sought after by investors and collectors due to their extremely rare availability and charm.

Killiecrankie Diamond: These colourless topazes look like diamonds in the rough. They are found on the shores of Killiecrankie Bay.

Rubie, Topaz, Quartz, Emerald, Garnet, Zircon, and Tourmaline are a few of the other popular Australian Gemstones. Having your budget and priorities set will help you to narrow down what dealer or place you might want to acquire these diamonds from.

The more suppliers are present at a particular place, the wider options a buyer would have. Therefore, having a thorough knowledge of these types and their speciality becomes important. Now let’s have a look at the various ways through which you could purchase these Australian gemstones.

Buying Australian Gemstones

There are many ways through which you could reach out to Australian Gemstone Suppliers. Once you have all the prerequisites in your mind and the budget set for your deal, choosing the best way to acquire them becomes relatively easier.

Gem Producing Towns in Australia

Buying loose Australian Gemstones or already set in the jewellery can be best done by going to the Gem producing towns there. Just a Google search will tell you where your favourite or preferred gemstones are found in those towns. Checking the quality and visiting the places where they are mined is perhaps the best way to acquire them.

Local and National Gem Shows

The lapidary clubs in the states usually organise these shows once every year. You can get an idea about the prize-winning gemstones from club competitions like these. From gem roughs to polished gemstones, the varieties are apparent there. These shows are a great way to find authentic and local Australian gemstones.

Gemstone Supplier or Wholesalers

Many wholesalers and Australian Gemstone Suppliers only deal with jewellery or retailers. So getting a hold of a wholesaler as a gemstone buyer might be a bit difficult. But a rigorous online search or contacting the jewellers can be a nice place to begin. A few wholesales fill the gap by creating a portal for buyers to contact. Finding them out can be worth it because of the variety of Australian gemstones these wholesalers possess. It can help you maintain long-term partnerships and ensure sustainability.

A Local Manufacturing Jeweller

This method may prove viable for finding faceted gemstones. But there may be some limitations regarding the quantity and rates. Getting a hold of a wholesaler is perhaps better than contacting a retailer in that sense. At the same time, retailers are easy to get in touch with and might offer prices to develop a better bond.

Online Marketplaces for Gemstones

Scroll through sites like Etsy and Ebay and you will get a huge list of dealers there. But wherever there are abundant suppliers, there is also a chance of getting in touch with the wrong one. Therefore, checking the ratings, building trust and sharing your needs become important. It might be a bit risky, but at the same time, it is one of the easiest and most convenient methods to get hold of these precious stones.

Things to Take Care of

Knowing your gemstones and having proper knowledge about the one you intend to purchase is important. Talking to the manufacturers or talking to an expert before investing in these precious gemstones is advisable. Let’s go through some other pointers before you invest in them.

Quality and Treatments: The wholesalers or your seller might not know how your stone was mined and manufactured. So be mindful of that.

Gemstone Material: Try to go through the description of what these gemstones are made of. Having a thorough knowledge of that here helps.

Guarantee: The guarantee your seller might have given you regarding the gemstone might not include the composition of these stones. So keep that in mind.

Digital Description: Due to several factors that may alter the look of the gemstone, it is advisable not to trust the picture absolutely. They may be altered, enhanced or edited. Shipping Duration: It might take weeks for you to finally get hold of these Australian gemstones as several suppliers online are located elsewhere.

Famous Gem Producing Towns in Australia

Coober Pedy, SA: Hub for most of the precious opals from Australia, one can get hold of the best ones from this place. Coober Pedy was one of the first few mining areas of opals in Australia, and its quality is still prevalent in today’s age.

Andamooka, SA: Andamooka also has reserves of Opals and is famous for these gemstones. It also has Opal showrooms for visitors or potential buyers to visit.

Quilpie, QLD: Near the birthplace of the opal industry, these precious Australian Gemstones are a hub for gemstone buyers.

Merlin, NT: Situated in the Northern Territory, Merlin has one of the finest reserves of gem-grade diamonds. It is famous for being the largest Australian diamond found, weighing almost 104.72 carats.

Lighting Ridge, NSW: Situated in New South Wales, this place is famous for its rare black opals with its abundance.

Places like Argyle Diamond Mine, WA, Harts Range, NT, Gemfields, QLD and Broome, WA, are a few of the other Australian gemstone reserves. Australia is indeed abundant with high-quality gemstones and buying one from there is wise as long as you are aware of the types of gemstones present there.

Just keeping these few things in mind and diving deeper into the network of gemstone sellers in Australia will prevent you from encountering shady deals. After all, getting the best from the best is what any buyer would want, considering the magnitude of the transaction it would involve.