The Gem Shop is situated on the non public bar end of the verandah of the Interstate Hotel in Whitemark Main Street. Thelma Shaik, who owns the gem shop, has returned to Flinders after 20 years away and has searched and dug for “Killiecrankie Diamonds” for some time now. At the Gem Shop you can see the famous Killiecrankie Diamonds (topaz) both cut and uncut in all shapes and sizes as well as a variety of gemstones for sale and display. The Gem Shop also displays and sells Nautilus shells and a variety of shell jewelry including necklaces.
Browse at the sparkling Gemstones while you listening to Thelma tell you stories from days gone by. If you love diamonds but can’t afford the big prices Flinders Island Topaz is the perfect purchase to own your own diamond, or buy them as gifts for your friends and relatives. If you purchase an uncut or rough stone keep in mind they lose 2/3 of their size once cut for display. At present there are no large rough stones available for sale.
“Killiecrankie Diamond” or Flinders Island Topaz is considered a semi precious stone Topaz also being the birthstone for November and is composed of a fluorosilicate of aluminium, which occurs in association with highly acidic igneous rocks such as the granites and pegmatite’s of Killiecrankie Bay. Most stones are colourless, but pale ice blue and pink gold are occasionally found. The colour is the result of impurities of potassium and manganese, sometimes both in the same stone. The Killiecrankie Diamond is generally of very high quality and can be faceted into many different shapes to create very striking jewellery.
Killiecrankie Diamond Rings
If you enjoy fossicking for gem stones and finding a treasure why not go Diamond Hunting yourself, head up to Killiecrankie Bay – home of the famous Killiecrankie Diamonds and see what you can find. Comb the beaches at low tide, try digging and sieving the beach below the high water mark, best at low tide. A walk around to Stacky’s Bight should provide ample opportunity to fossick for treasure skimming out the dirt and sand, slosh through the rocks and mud until you uncover a thimbleful of gleaming bounty. Sieves and shovels can be hired or visitors can partake in an expedition to the Old Mount Tanner tin mines records of operation date back to 1876. Although the Mines were said have been first discovered in 1836. A track in is just past the west end road turn off and is a short half km walk. Off course the best stones are found diving in Killiecrankie Bay.
Thelma is very passionate about Flinders Island especially Tourism and hopes one day to see “100, 000 people walking the streets of town and visiting the businesses”.
For more information please phone Thelma or call in at the Gem Shop.
Patrick Street, Whitemark. Phone: (03) 63592160
Email: flindersisinfo@bigpond.com
If the Gem Shop is closed stones are available and on display from the Furneaux Gallery operated by Dawn Zelman and JJ’s on the Bay Summer Art Café open Jan to May 2011