Aussie Sapphire

Half the fun of rock tumbling is in the search for suitable rocks that will polish beautifully.  You can find these in a variety of places such as the beach, rivers and creeks, etc.

In short, whenever you are in the Great Outdoors, you should be keeping your eyes open for good tumbling rocks.  However, we have been asked many times if we can supply tumbling rocks for those just starting out in the hobby.

So in response to this demand, we are now very pleased to announce that we offer mixed colour rocks for you to try your hand at tumbling. Offered in 2 convenient sizes suitable for the most popular 3 pound barrels:

These rocks are randomly selected from a mixed unidentified lot but will include a variety of quartz type rocks with colours ranging from white, green, pink, orange, grey, etc as shown in the photo above.

Hard to imagine that a third of 2009 has already flashed by – a reminder that life is short so enjoy it.  And what better hobby than Gems !!
 
We would never have thought Aussie Sapphire would be where it is today when we first started the Online Shop in 1997 – we started off just selling a bit of sapphire from our mine but 12 years on, we have grown into Australia’s favourite Gem & Lapidary Online/Mail Order supplier.  Now with a free call phone number to make it even easier to contact us - just call 1800 50 21 40 toll free for prompt and friendly service.
 
The last 6 months have been very busy for Aussie Sapphire – here are just a few highlights:

• In November we imported the first Darkside polishing Laps into Australia and are proud to be the exclusive Dealers in Australia for both the Darksides & the Famous BATT Laps from Gearloose.  With laps in stock ready to ship everyday, we invite you to try these out for yourself.   The Darkside is one of the most exciting new products in faceting for some time and will make life easier for both beginner and expert.  Information and user recommendations can be found at ALF.
• December saw Sales of Lapidary Gear up over 50% on the previous year – a great result given fears of recession and it is pleasing to see demand continuing well into 2009.  The economy may be gloomy but the lapidary hobby seems to be going against the trend with strong interest all round.
• December & January saw a huge effort to get our print catalogue ready – our customers have been asking for this for quite some time now and we are pleased to be able to provide this additional service.  Lots of exciting new products are now available.  Remember, up to date prices and stock levels are always available on our website.  If you have not already received a catalogue, just call or email and we will send one out to you (free to any Aussie Sapphire registered customer).
• February/March also saw some reprieve from the Low Aussie Dollar which had been greatly hurting the margins on new stock.  This allowed us to place some serious orders to replenish our stocks.  We now consolidate container loads of equipment/supplies from the USA, China and Thailand all by sea to try and pass on the best prices possible. We have two large shipments in transit now expected mid/end of May.
• March saw the voluntary committment of running the Minerama Fossicking and Gem Show take up all our spare time plus some. Minerama was again a great success – thanks to the many customers that called by to say g’day and stock up.  We trade only at Minerama and at the Emmaville Gem Show in September – we dont do other gem shows as it would be impossible to give customers the prompt service you all depend on if we are busy travelling on the Gem Show circuit. 

MINE STATUS
As many would have noticed our listed stock of Sapphire Rough suitable for the local facetor is very low and hasnt had new stock added for some time.  The facts are that its not feasible for us to operate the Sapphire mine under current Global economic conditions.   Simply the cost of production is way too high and the price offered for Mine Run production too low.  Given current forecasts for the length and depth of the recession we are all clearly in, this situation does not look like changing any time soon.  

We have had the plant under care and maintanance now for the last 6 months with no mining carried out – during this period, we have completed all the restoration of the mine cuts returning these areas back to full farm production.  A decision will be made within the next 3 months as to whether we maintain the Mining Plant & Equipment to restart at a later date or finalise all mining on the Reddestone Creek. 

We carry a vast range of quality cut Reddestone Creek Sapphire in the Bank Deposit box ranging from 1.5mm up in Blues, Yellows and a good selection of Parti – enough to last us and our wholesale outlets  for many years.  We also have a special selected stockpile of rough for our own cutting needs – this is not for sale as rough, sorry.

Customers should be aware that there is no commercial mining being done on the Reddestone Creek currently – people considering buying Sapphire Rough from other sellers that is claimed to be from the Reddestone Creek  should confirm the origin of the rough as we have been the only commercial miner on this resource for some years.

Finally, for those who have not yet joined our new lapidary forum, we invite you to check out the Aussie Lapidary Forum - affectionately known as ALF.      This active and friendly community is designed for anyone interested in gems – free membership and lots of features to help you get the most out of the lapidary hobby.

That’s all for now – cheers from Andrew and Leah (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

The response to our new Aussie Lapidary Forum has been fantastic.  In only 3 months, we already have around 80 members with almost 1200 messages on the boards.

The interest has been great so keep it up.  With the new media gallery, members can post any number of photographs with comments and rating features available so everyone can get involved. 

One of our members has done an amazing amount of work posting photographs and descriptions of various fossicking spots – this is very generous as often this data is very tightly held by those who dont want their seret spots to be over-run.

If you’re an expert gem cutter or just learning, we’d love to have you along – you can show off your work and discuss any aspect of the craft.

Why not join us at www.aussielapidaryforum.com

cheers from Andrew and Leah (Aussie Sapphire)

Exclusive new dealership for Aussie Sapphire
Australia’s Favourite Lapidary & Gem Shop

The Omni Faceting Machine – NO LONGER AVAILABLE (as of January 2009).

IMPORTANT NOTE:  we are no longer dealers for OMNI faceting machines.  If you are interested in purchasing an OMNI, please contact them directly here:  http://www.jerseyinstruments.com/

Aussie Sappire are proud to announce that we are now exclusive Dealers in Australia for the Omni faceting machine.  Orders taken now with the next machine expected in about 2-3 weeks.

Omni – Designed by Laurie Hall and Manufactured by Jersey Instruments (in the USA).  The OMNI faceting machine is a collaborative effort with Laurie Hall who for the past 35 years has been building production quality faceting machines for the gem cutting fields in Qld Australia.   We believe this NEW MODEL Omni is a great improvement on the already extremely popular Hall Xtra. It features as standard a Digital Zero Reference Faceting (protractor) and “meet point” indicator.  It has a small footprint but big impact – improvements in splash pan design have overcome the spindle bearings problems sometimes reported in early models of the Omni and Hall.

Now the Hall Faceting Machine Fans have another option that boasts extra features and design improvements PLUS no long waiting lists!  Call Aussie Sapphire now if you have queries about the Omni.

USA made Design by Laurie Hall QLD

Darkside now Down Under

Aussie Sapphire are now Stocking Dealers for the famous BATT and BRAND NEW Darkside Polishing Laps.
Developed by Gearloose in the USA, the BATT Lap is a superior tin alloy (lead free) which has been the number one pick of many expert cutters in the USA for years.  Now after much testing, Gearloose has released the Darkside, a brand new winner in gem polishing.

Be among the first in Australia to benefit from this POLISHING REVOLUTION.  The DARKSIDE™ is a brand new lightweight lap, made of  specially developed material (composite polymer) coated onto an aluminum baseplate.  The Darkside lap is designed for polishing only - you will NOT be able to cut with the DARKSIDE™ as you can with the BATT.

Like all Gearloose laps, the polishing mechanism relies on surface complexity for polish retention, and lubricity for reduced heating and higher polishing efficiency. Some users have gotten three pavilions done before needing to add more diamond. Because the composite contains carbon, it has a natural affinity for diamond, but the hydrophilic domains accept oxide polishes.

Super Closeup of the Darkside Lap

See this discussion on Gemology Online for comments by both the manufacturer and gem cutters about using this new lap.

Last thing – the new Print Catalogue has been sent off to the printers so we hope to be able to send these out quite soon.

Cheers for now Andrew (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

It has been clear the our Aussie Sapphire website has been getting more of a lapidary focus.  One really important part of this new focus is providing advice and support to those new to the lapidary hobby.

As such, we have decided to start a brand new forum for anyone interested in rocks and gems – this is a free service hosted and administered by Aussie Sapphire.  It is open to everyone with an interest in lapidary and gems so please join up and get involved.  Membership is absolutely free to all and registration just takes a few moments.

Hope to see you there:
Aussie Lapidary Forum

cheers from Andrew and Leah (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

Rough Gem Supply
What a difference 6 months makes!  There has been a significant shortage of rough gemstones in most catagories – this has been a gradual trend developing for a considerable time but has really started to bite since December 2008.

REASONS:  A combination of factors, most completely out of the control of the trade but some the direct fault of some in the industry.

• Huge increases in the cost of production (fuel, electricity, parts and supplies, etc) at the same time as only modest increases in rough prices.
• The closure by the Madagascan Goverment of exports of Rough Gems (mainly Sapphire but many others gems as well).  This is probably the biggest news in the industry for many years.  It appears all Gems are to be Cut and Heat Treated in Africa before they can leave (similar to current rules in Sri Lanka prohibiting export of gem rough).  

One must remember that this small island is probably the richest gemstone resource ever discovered and most importantly this is where the largest majority of that “CEYLON” branded Sapphire has come from for some time. 

I would like to hope this works for the financially struggling Africans on the ground but I fear that not much will change.  Already, signs are that the more powerful USA and Indian companies are trying, although with difficulty, to move their cutting operations to this country and carry on as before.

• Enviromental and Farmers rights.  The global weather concerns and the desperate need for food production has really had major effects on production especially in China.  A good friend and major Sapphire miner Alex reports that the local farmers are not allowing them to mine on the productive river flats any longer (most of the easier river beds are already exhausted) so they are forced to mine deeper harder ground.  Mine production in China is still large but much less than even last calendar year.

More interesting Gem News:
Ruby Rumblings - The Ruby game has been in a mess for some time since the “Lead Filled” treatment became almost commonplace.  There has been mountains of Ruby in the market, mainly lower grade Indian product (often large and almost opaque) and lead filled African material.  Unfortunately for the retail customer, the altered Ruby looks very good to the eye but in my strong opinion it just “aint Ruby”!  (Oh I forgot the Berillium treated Ruby as well).

Burma Ruby Dead ?  President  Bush in his “wisdom” has banned the import of Ruby  and Jade from Burma (now known as Myanmar) into the USA starting in September 2008.  This in my opinion is a silly decision based on politics not common sense.  Although there has been a Ban in place since 2003, this latest move is supposed to tie up the loophole of Gems being processed in another country (mainly Thailand).  This is aimed at the Military Goverment but in my opinion will just hurt the individual and long suffering Burmese poor while the rich Generals will see little change.

Just how will it work?  In short it wont!  Any Ruby or Jade already in the USA prior to the cut off date can still be legally sold as Burmese.  Reports from the ground in Thailand show large US based companies pouring as much cash as they can spare into getting stockpiles into their country before the deadline.  I suppose the USA customs will now be able to tell the origin of a Gem just by looking at it.  A difficult job even for the most experienced Gem Labs.  Of course there will now be a lot of Burmese type Ruby coming from other countries or “New Finds”.

Richard Hughes changes jobs:
Richard Hughes, gemologist and author, has resigned as senior staff gemologist for the AGTA, (American Gem Trade Association) to join a jewellery TV company based in Singapore and Bangkok.  Richard has vast knowledge and experience in the Gem world - he seems to be willing to give these alternative methods of selling some support – hopefully he will bring some much needed credibility to the system.  The thought that springs to my mind though is that perhaps the old fashioned bricks and mortar Jewellery stores need to do some catching up or they might die?  Good luck Richard.

Lapidary Gear:
We have had several questions asking if Lapidary supplies will decrease in price because of our high dollar. The answer is simple Yes but No. Confused ?  I dont blame you but the simple fact is freight cost increases have wiped out in most cases more than the gain in currency exchange.  On top of this, all manufacturers face large increases on all the material they use with many increasing our buying prices.  Having said this the choice of where or what to purchase has never been better so shop around and enjoy the savings that come from competition.  We’re pretty confident you wont find a better deal than at Aussie Sapphire.  Just remember, when comparing prices, check if stock is ready to deliver immediately and if any additional costs apply – such as for 220 Volt (a common trap when buying from the US), credit card fees, foreign currency fees and charges, etc.

Tips and Tricks:

• Need storage for your 6″ Faceting Laps, diamond saw blades, etc ? Inexpensive Size 1 padded envelopes are a cheap solution or try CD cases - ideal for your 4″ or 5″ diamond blades.  You can mark each type clearly and avoid contamination.  
• Dull Diamond Blades – if your diamond blade becomes dull try redressing it before you throw it out. There are specific dressing sticks available but a old silicon carbide grinding wheel does the same job cheaper.  Just cut into the wheel a couple of times this removes tiny particles of metal that melt into the Diamond while cutting.  If this doesnt work then there is no Diamond left so your blade is only a drink coaster now.

Website Reviews:
http://www.gemologyonline.com - A great free forum for everything to do with Gems and Lapidary.  Cannot recommend this site highly enough – filled with genuine experts who are genuinely happy to help out with advice and share knowledge.

Emmaville Gemfest is coming up very soon so make sure you keep this weekend free for a really friendly and fun gem show up in the heart of the New England gemfields.

GEMFEST – 6th, 7th & 8th September

For more information, please contact the Emmaville Mining Museum 6734 7025, Ron Jillett on 6734 7210 or Kay Schroder on 6734 7281.

There will be field trips for Molybdenite, Topaz, Quartz, Silver, Tourmaline & Copper - all leave from the Caravan Park in the morning.  Camping is available at the Caravan Park - for bookings, contact Debbie Lowe on 0429 333 122.

We wont be trading there all weekend as Andrew will be heading overseas a few days later but we hope to visit on Saturday and might load a few items in the back of the ute.  We’ll see how we go for time.  However, we have always really enjoyed going to this one and higly recommend it to everyone.

cheers from Andrew and Leah (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

We have had quite a few requests from customers asking about books on gemstones and lapidary.  After quite a search to find a good source, we are proud to announce that Aussie Sapphire now carries a range of books that will be of interest.

Please see the Books & DVD category to select from a range of lapidary books covering gem cutting, rock tumbling, jewellery making, gem collecting and more.

These books are imported from the USA so will be ordering new stock periodically – if you are after something that is not listed, please feel free to contact us or browse the catalogues of our affiliate partner Fishpond (use the search box at the top of the list).

Book prices are extremely reasonable and they make fantastic gift ideas so please take a look at our selection.  If you are choosing for someone else, sending a gift voucher allows them to make the perfect choice.

The equipment and lapidary supplies category continues to be very popular with another Gemmasta faceting machine going out last week (replacement machine expected late this week) and lots of gem display cases, laps, tools, etc being despatched each day.  We continue to work on sourcing new products so keep an eye on this section for more bargains to come.

Have just finished another batch of sapphire cutting and in the middle of cutting some nice rough tourmaline so please contact us if you are interested in sourcing anything like this.  Mining continues to be challenging with fuel prices soaring and costs of production generally being too high for the return.  Sapphire rough is in short supply presently but we hope to list a few new pieces in the facet rough section as soon as possible.  This appears to be a general problem with very little sapphire being produced in Australia currently and similar shortages in many of the other producing countries. 

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

Despite the challenging economic times, we have actually had a few really good weeks in sales with excellent interest in machinery in particular.

Within the last 3 weeks, have sold two brand new Gemmasta faceting machines and two Indian double-plate machines.  We have a replacement Gemmasta arriving in the next few days and a new Facetron in stock as well as one second hand GF4 Gemmasta.  Remember, we aim to keep machines in stock ready for immediate delivery as we dont like waiting lists either. 

Long waiting times for faceting machine delivery seems to be common in the industry but you wont have this problem with Gemmasta or Facetron.  Think of it this way:  if you have to wait 6 weeks or more just to get the machine, what will happen if you need repairs, spare parts or factory support.  We prefer to deal with companies who take customer support seriously.

We have new stock of tumblers now – Lortone (3A and 33B) and Raytech (Tumble-Vibe 5) with some new mini-sonics arriving soon.  We have some new trim saws in stock and some new products being worked on right now.  Response from the website has been fantastic and is getting better and better so our ultimate aim is to become the one-stop online shop for lapidary equipment and supplies.

One exciting new product line to be added to the website soon is a selection of books on gems and faceting – these are expected to arrive any day now and will be listed as soon as possible.  Check here for an announcement on this.  We hope this will be well-supported by our customers as we have had a number of enquiries for these.

Mining is becoming ever more challenging with the high cost of fuel just about making it impossible to break even on the job – not really sure what the future holds here but we’ll hang in there as long as we can.  Andrew will be overseas for the next couple of weeks checking on market conditions – selling some sapphire and hopefully buying some interesting new things for the website so make sure you take a look when he gets back.  If you have any special request, email us now so he can keep an eye out.

Cheers for now from Andrew and Leah Lane (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

Have just finished a tidy up of our Faceting Laps section - we hope it will now be easier for our customers to find which option best suits them.  We have a wide range of lap types and grits with some fantastic kits put together (8 kits to choose from).  Excellent quality products at already discounted prices – buy in kit form and you get even more off the price.

As we speak, we all know just how inflation is really biting and it hurts.  Our last lot of Diesel was $1.71 per litre and rising constantly, steel price rises of over 50% since Jan 08 and fertiliser and chemical costs for our farming are through the roof.  Bottom line is that everyone is affected!

Prices are on the rise everywhere.  This includes items such as Laps, Faceting Machines, Dops – almost anything that involves metal or expensive import freight will be going up in price as old stock runs out.  We try to keep prices down where we can so existing stock will remain at the old prices until we run out.  A great time to buy before prices go up.

We have one new stock Facetron Faceting machine at the old cost of just $3,500 AUD – the next machine will be a couple of hundred $$ more due to a factory price increase in April.  The Gemmasta at $3,900 is also good buying with the factory absorbing cost increases in metal as long as they can.  In all we have 4 complete machines in the storeroom (including one great second hand Gemmasta) so be quick to check these out. 

LAYBY:  we can, to approved customers, offer a Layby option on faceting machines (or our more valuable gems/parcels).  As a guide, purchases must total at least $1,000 AUD and be paid off in 4 equal monthly payments – if you are interested, please ask as you may be eligible (conditions apply, no interest!)

Mining continues although it becomes more challenging all the time.  Although bulk rough prices have increased about 40% since December 2007 mainly due to shortage issues, we are still faced with “mine run” prices around 10% below the levels just prior to September 11 (2001) when everything crashed around us. 

I hate to sit down and work out just how much the cost of production has risen in that 7 years - needless to say, it’s a damn lot.   Given that our costs of production are much much higher and prices received actually lower, it seems crazy that there are still a couple of us still persevering in the industry.  Mining for Sapphire in Australia remains marginal at best at current prices.

Thanks to you, our customers, Aussie Sapphire has continued to grow and prosper keeping Jobs in town so thanks for the support!

So I guess the main message is clear – old stock of machines, and accessories along with selected cut gems all represent a good buy.  Prices will rise and the value will hold well – if you’ve been considering a purchase, it might be a good time to get serious.

As always contact us if you cant find what you need online.  If you get a better quote from an Australian supplier, ask us – we will certainly try and match or better it if possible.  If you have any suggestions or comments, just mail them through.

Stay well and best wishes from Andrew and Leah Lane (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)