VEILED RICHES

About Us

Hello and welcome to Veiled Riches.

We are Jim and Sandy and live on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland. Our love of lapidary commenced in 2008 while working in Forsayth and discovering Agate Creek. After a camping trip and returning home with buckets of rocks we joined the local lapidary club only to be told that most of our hard work was ‘leaverite’ or ‘chuckite’. Not to be dismayed we actually had found some very nice examples of agate with all its beauty revealed after cutting. After this we were hooked and officially became rockhounds. We quickly became involved in the club learning cabbing, faceting and basic silversmithing.

Since then we have increased our knowledge and skills to include lost wax casting, mold making and wax injection with an ultrasonic drill for drilling stones. We are continually trying new techniques and equipment while increasing our rough stock by fossicking or shed sales. We find the greatest reward is to find our own materials and then unveil the inner mystery of gemstones and rocks. To be able to fossick for rocks and gems and then facet or polish them, make the settings and mount them is very rewarding and enjoyable.

We pride ourselves in sourcing our materials legally and ethically and passing on and sharing knowledge with other like minded rockhounds.