Club to shine at Caboolture Gemfest

Gem and jewellery enthusiasts who love one-of-a-kind pieces are encouraged to head along to the upcoming Gemfest in Caboolture.

The event will be hosted by Caboolture Gem Club on Saturday, August 12 from 9am-4pm at Caboolture Historical Village.

Club spokesperson Kerry Myatt says the Gemfest will be a shining example of the work members do.

“We will have fossicking for kids where they can come in and buy a little container of sawdust and be able to sift out their own stones,” Kerry says.

“The kids get really excited about finding their own polished stones they can take home and keep. The look on their faces when they find the stones is always priceless.

“We will also have about 60 stalls selling lots of lapidary related items like jewellery, cut and uncut stones, tools, equipment, crystals and more.”

In addition, the day will also feature displays, demonstrations, raffles, food vans and more.

Held each year, Gemfest always attracts a big crowd.

“We hire the whole Caboolture Historical Village for the show, and I would say we have more than 1500 people who come through the gates,” Kerry says.

“Quite a few of the exhibits in the historical village will be open, so people can make a day out of it and not only look at the Gemfest itself, but also the other displays.”

Admission is $5 for adults and children under 12 are free. Parking is a gold coin donation to Caboolture Woodcrafters.

Caboolture Gem Club was established in 1971 by a group of avid fossickers who needed a place to work on their craft.

For more information about the Caboolture Gem Club, visit the website. 

Caboolture Gem Club photo gallery (click through)

Photos by Dominika Lis

Dazzling results at national competition

Five members of the Caboolture Gem Club received top honours at this year’s National Gem and Mineral Show in Dayboro, dazzling the judges with their entries.

The club won nine awards, with Donna Parker, Leon Allen, Lionel Henman, Stephen Somerville and Karl Redmann named the best in their categories.

Donna won three awards, placing first, second and third in the Hand Fabricated Jewellery Novice Category.

In their respective categories, Leon won a second and third placing, Lionel won two third placings, and Stephen and Karl each placing first.

A total of 1011 entries were submitted for judging.

The National Gem and Mineral Show, known as Gemboree 2023, was held at the Dayboro Showgrounds during the Easter long weekend. The Queensland Lapidary and Allied Craft Clubs Association Inc hosted the event, which is held every six years. Organisers were thrilled to bring the event to the Moreton Bay Region for the first time where it attracted more than 4000 people from across the country.