A gem of a festival coming to Nambour!

From left, Nambour Lapidary Club members Nev Kratzmann, Gayle Woods & Gary Hoger display one of crystals that you can see at Gemfest on the weekend.

The Nambour Lapidary Club will be playing host to the 2022 Gemfest at the Nambour Showgrounds this Saturday (October 8) from 8am to 4pm.

“We are extremely excited about this year’s Gemfest,” said Club President, Keith Millington.

“People travel from far and wide and have done so for many years, as the Nambour Gemfest is considered to be one of the best in the state.

“It is an opportunity for retailers, collectors, amateurs and anyone else who has an interest in fossicking, lapidary and silversmithing to come together to sell and promote their wares and businesses.”

The Nambour Rotary Club will provide refreshments and food and there will also be a coffee van on site.

As interest in gems grows in the broader community, the 2022 Gemfest allows the Nambour Lapidary Club to showcase the club and the various activities they are engaged in.

“Our members are involved in all aspects of lapidary, from fossicking for precious and semi-precious gemstones, to cutting, shaping and polishing the stones into beautiful pieces that can be decorative, or used to make jewellery,” Mr Millington said.

“For a lot of our members the next stage is to create settings in silver into which these beautiful gems can be set. They make wonderful, meaningful gifts for a loved one, family members and friends,” he said.

“Alternatively they can be sold off at Gemfest and there will be many examples of our members’ work offered at reasonable prices.”

For people interested in lapidary, the Nambour Club provides gem polishing instruction and has a professional silversmith who undertakes silversmithing courses in the clubhouse.

“There is a fee to do the silversmithing course and students are required to become club members so they can continue to use our facilities once their course is completed,” said Mr Millington.

“At the show we will have demonstrations on how to polish stones, a silversmithing display,  a fossicking cart for the children, and a lucky dip with beautiful tumbled stones. In addition, examples of items produced by our members will be on show.”

There will be a raffle on the day and the first prize is a stunning large crystal specimen.

“The crystal is Selenite and our resident geologist estimates it to be worth close to $1,250,” Mr Millington said. “It is a very beautiful piece. We also have some wire wrapped pendants that will be the gate prize.”

 To find out more, you can visit www.NambourLapidaryClub.com.au or visit the Facebook page @NambourLapidaryClub