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About Harrington's Australian Gemstones
Harrington’s Australian Gemstones is a successful family owned and operated gem-cutting, gem merchant and jewellery designing business, established in 1992 at The Leap, North Queensland, AUSTRALIA.
Producing and selling larger size, precision cut, Australian Sapphires of high quality, skilfully cut by experienced lapidary (gem-cutter), Peter Harrington.
Peter began cutting Central Queensland Sapphires in 1984 for sapphire miners and fossickers, when machine mining operation in Australia were supplying approximately 85 % of the world market in rough, dark blue Sapphire.
Whilst most of the rough material mined from Australia was purchased by Thai buyers and ended up in gem cutting factories in Bangkok to be processed cheaply there for worldwide distribution, the larger, highest quality material was often cut by skilled, precision gem-cutters here in Australia.
Peter & Joesphine attending one of the many markets at
Airlie Beach in 1993
These days, Harrington’s Australian Gemstones purchase high quality, hand-picked, rough parcels of gems from mining localities including the Central Queensland gem fields, Lava Plains – Far North Queensland and the New England district of New South Wales in AUSTRALIA.
Harrington’s Australian Gemstones also sources rough gem materials from International localities including: U.S.A. (Montana) – SAPPHIRE, TANZANIA – RUBY AND SAPPHIRE, KENYA – RUBY AND SAPPHIRE, VIETNAM – RUBY, BRAZIL – EMERALD AND TOURMALINE.
Harrington’s Australian Gemstones also sources rough gem materials from International localities including: U.S.A. (Montana) – SAPPHIRE, TANZANIA – RUBY AND SAPPHIRE, KENYA – RUBY AND SAPPHIRE, VIETNAM – RUBY, BRAZIL – EMERALD AND TOURMALINE.
Josephine still designs the jewellery, and aims to provide a broad range of affordable jewellery, with unique and varied design, enhancing the magnificent quality sapphires and other precious gemstones that Peter expertly cuts and polishes to this day!
“Our aim is to supply beautiful, affordable, high quality, large, precision cut natural precious gem stones direct to the consumer!” say Peter and Josephine.
Peter cutting & polishing gemstones in his workshop
Located within That Sapphire Place's Gallery at The Leap
In the late 1980’s Peter purchased a miners cottage in Rubyvale, in order to have a full time base on the Central Queensland gem fields. The cottage remains as our buying base today, although Peter and his wife Josephine established their gem cutting workshop at The Leap, 20kms North of the coastal Queensland city of Mackay in 1989.
Peter purchased substantial parcels of high quality rough Sapphire throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s up til commercial Sapphire mining operations had all but ceased due to diminishing deposits.
Peter purchased substantial parcels of high quality rough Sapphire throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s up til commercial Sapphire mining operations had all but ceased due to diminishing deposits.
Peter and Josephine originally opened their gem-cutting workshop to the public in 1992 from their home premises at The Leap and interest was so great, a custom built, working gallery was built to accommodate the growing business in 1996. During these early years, Josephine began designing jewellery to accommodate the expanding collection of exquisite gemstones that Peter had skilfully cut and polished.
In the transitional years from gem-cutting workshop to gallery, Peter and Josephine marketed their business through attending art and craft fairs and markets and did working displays at agricultural shows, heritage festivals and mining exhibitions. “We became known as the people with that sapphire place out at The Leap” says Josephine, “so that will be the name of our gallery!”
“Our gallery opened in March 1996, and we named our gallery ‘THAT SAPPHIRE PLACE’!”
That Sapphire Place's Gallery at The Leap