gemstone fields of Victoria

see also:

• Victoria's complex and fascinating origins and geology
• photography and camping main index page
• gemstones and other geological materials

• if you have a Miner's Right $28pp and lasts 10 years, you can fossick in the areas outlined in https://resources.vic.gov.au/licensing-approvals/fossicking/where-you-can-prospect-and-fossick note that there are a LOT of rivers and streams where you are NOT allowed to fossick according to https://resources.vic.gov.au/licensing-approvals/fossicking/where-you-can-prospect-and-fossick/rivers-and-streams-where-you-cant-fossick and https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/blog/50/gold-bearing-creeks-and-rivers-in-victoria
  • fossicking and prospecting for gold or gems is also banned in many areas under Section 7 Exemptions law of the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 ¹⁾ which grants Ministers powers to ban these activities even if you own that land (includes much of the main gold mining cities such as Ballarat and Bendigo) -see GeoVic; a Miner's Right is regarded as an “Other Authority” as part of Section 55 of this Act.
• unfortunately it seems you are not permitted to fossick in some streams known to have gemstones in the past such as Lerderderg River west of Blackwood, King River near Edi Cutting, Cardinia Creek, etc.
• the usual gemstones and similar geologic interests found are:
  • red jasper and black
  • agates
  • fossils shells
  • trilobites
  • petrified wood
  • graptolites - slate vegetation fossils (eg. Werribee Gorge)
  • smokey quartz (esp. at Moralla geodes)
  • citrine (esp. Beechworth area)
  • zircons (esp. Beechworth area)
  • tourmaline (esp. Beechworth area)
  • topaz (esp. Beechworth area)
  • garnet
  • and occasionally sapphire or a ruby and rarely small diamonds (esp. Beechworth area)

• easy to find alluvial gold here and you may be able to find some semi-precious gemstones (including most of those included in the above list)
• this is a great spot for beginners to have a go panning for gold, and a great spot for crevicing due to the huge areas of exposed bedrock found along the creek.
• although Reedy Creek is included on the banned streams, you can fossick in Reedy Creek where it passes through Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park (most of Reedy Creek from Woolshed Falls to Eldorado) see https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/publication-uploads/chiltern-mt-pilot-national-park---prospecting-map_14122022033027541.pdf
• see also:
  • Youtube - how to find gold and gemstones around Beechworth
  • Youtube: 1st time fossickers get lucky and also hike to Barry Falls
• great area to explore, check out the old Eldorado Gold Dredge, Woolshed Falls, Beechworh Gorge Scenic drive and cascades, and historic Beechworth gold mining town
• can bush camp along the Reedy Creek
• the primary hard rock diamond source of the Beechworth diamonds, of which several hundred have been found in the Eldorado Lead along Reedy Creek has not yet been located.

• alluvial gold is relatively easy to find at camp site number 5 if you move the larger rocks
• anywhere downstream ie camps 1-4 is not legal to pan for gold

• Beear Fossicking Area, Mooralla gemstone field, south bank of Rocklands Reservoir camping areas west of the Grampians - you can go digging with a pick for geodes and smoky quartz crystals then camp next to the reservoir at Henry's campsite (2WD with care dry weather only)
  • see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI5nB_vJ6fU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIl_OEUvuP4

• semi-precious gems and fossils in various areas
• Cape Liptrap
• Kitty Miller Bay area on Phillip Island
• Moonlight Head

• lots of specks of gold, and tiny blue sapphires, topaz, zircon and spinel in creek bed gravels (esp. near grey “pipe” clay) but rare to find one large enough to cut
• see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_0-G5IJ_fw