The Redcliffe Gem Club is a volunteer based, community organization. We are open to all members and visitors who might want to see how we cut and polish precious and semi-precious gems, and then turn them into beautiful pieces of artisanal jewelry.
Come in and enjoy a friendly and welcoming environment for all.
Coming Up Next
GEM SHOWS 2024 NTH NSW. - STH QLD CURRENT 1st DECEMBER 2023
SHOW DATE SHOW SPONSOR LOCATION COMMENTS
24th FEBRUARY 20, 2024 Gatton Gem Show Shire Hall Gatton
24TH FEBRUARY 2024 Redcliffe Pop Up CANCELLED.
2ND MARCH 2024 Nth Brisbane Lapidary Nundah Club Rooms
8 / 9 / 10 MARCH 2024 Minerama Glen Innes Glen Innes Show Grnd
16 / 17 th MARCH 2024 New England Gem Show Show ground Armidale
23rd MARCH 2024 Mudgeeraba Comm Gem Show Mudgeeraba Show Grnds
6 / 7th APRIL 2024 Sth Burnett Gem Show Wondai Sports Ground
29 / 30 / 31st MARCH 2024 Warwick Rock Swap Warwick Show Grnds
Brisbane Nth Gem Fair Pine Rivers Show Ground
4th MAY 2024 Redcliffe Gem Market Redcliffe Show Grounds
18 / 19 th MAY 2024 Lismore Gemfest Lismore Show Grnds
Mt Gravatt Gem Show Club Rooms Mt Gravatt
Gunyah Lap Gem Show Club Rooms Wavell Heights
Gold Coast Gem Show Club / Pizzey Park Miami
29 / 30th JUNE 2024 Hervey Bay Gem Show Star of Sea Catholic School
Deception Bay Gem Show Club Rooms D / Bay
Caboolture Gemfest Historical Village Caboolture
10th AUGUST 2024 Redcliffe Gem Market Redcliffe Show Grounds
Waterloo Bay Gem Show Community Hall Hemmant
7th SEPTEMBER 2024 Ipswich Gem Show Silkstone State School
Bribie Isld. Gemfest Bribie Isld Arts Centre
Caloundra Gem Show 9 Caloundra Rd Caloundra
Beenleigh Gem Show Beenleigh Show Grnds
12th OCTOBER 2024 Nambour Gem Show Nambour Show Grnds
Toowoomba Gemfest Centenary Hts State High School
Bundaberg Gem Show Bundaberg Show Grnds 23rd NOVEMBER 2024 Redcliffe Gem Market Redcliffe Show Grounds
Brisbane Nth Gem Fair Pine Rivers Show Grounds
Sat, 04 MayRedcliffe04 May 2024, 8:30 am – 3:30 pmRedcliffe, Scarborough Rd, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding a market day. There will fun activities for the family, including sieve a gem for the kids. Stalls of gems, fossils, jewelry, crafts, shells, pearls and lapidary equipment. Enjoy the sausage sizzle for breakfast, snacks/cold drinks or lunch.- Sat, 11 NovRedcliffe11 Nov 2023, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be bacon and egg rolls, sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 19 AugRedcliffe19 Aug 2023, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be bacon and egg rolls, sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 06 MayRedcliffe06 May 2023, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be bacon and egg rolls, sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 25 FebRedcliffe25 Feb 2023, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, Australia
- Sat, 12 NovRedcliffe Gem Club12 Nov 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 20 AugRedcliffe Gem Club20 Aug 2022, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 07 MayRedcliffe Gem Club07 May 2022, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 13 NovRedcliffe Gem Club13 Nov 2021, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 21 AugRedcliffe Gem Club21 Aug 2021, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 22 MayRedcliffe Gem Club22 May 2021, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 01 MayRedcliffe Gem Club01 May 2021, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
- Sat, 14 NovRedcliffe Gem Club14 Nov 2020, 9:00 am – 2:00 pmRedcliffe Gem Club, 4 Henzell St, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaWe will be holding an open day, come down and tour our newly renovated Club! There will also be a popup Markets featuring Gem Sales, Beads, Sieve a Gem, Jewellery & raw material including slabs. There will be a sausage sizzle and cold drinks available on the day. Look forward to seeing you then!
Sat, 09 NovHercules Road State School09 Nov 2019, 9:00 am – 10 Nov 2019, 4:00 pmHercules Road State School, Hercules Rd, Kippa-Ring QLD 4021, AustraliaOne of Australia most popular Gem Show's, featuring Gem Sales & displays of Opal, Sapphire, Pearl, Crystals, Beads, Jewellery, Lapidary tools & raw material from local and interstate dealers and tailgaters.
Sun, 28 JulyRedcliffe Botanical Gardens28 July 2019, 9:00 am – 3:00 pmRedcliffe Botanical Gardens, 16-18 Henzell Street, Redcliffe QLD, AustraliaRedcliffe Garden & Lifestyle Expo is a celebration of gardens, lifestyle and sustainability. Festival-goers will enjoy vibrant displays and demonstrations as this normally secluded haven transforms into a world of 'green' fun. Enjoy a range of entertainment options from a variety of stages and area
Fri, 28 JuneRedcliffe Showgrounds28 June 2019, 9:00 am AEST – 30 June 2019, 5:00 pm AESTRedcliffe Showgrounds, Scarborough Rd, Redcliffe QLD 4020, AustraliaFine Arts, Crafts & Photography Schedule. The Redcliffe Gem Club will feature a display of our most talented members creations.
Fri, 21 JuneAnglican Church of Australia, 13 Lucinda St, Clontarf QLD 4019, Australia21 June 2019, 10:00 am AEST – 23 June 2019, 4:00 pm AESTAnglican Church of Australia, 13 Lucinda St, Clontarf QLD 4019, AustraliaFloral installations and art depicting the beauty of the earth and the creatures that live here. The Redcliffe Gem Club will feature a display of our most talented members creations.
Save Your Spot
ACTIVITIES
What you can do at the Redcliffe Gem Club
Volunteering
We are a not for profit organisation run solely by a team of dedicated volunteers who all share a common interest in rocks, gem stones and the art of Lapidary.
Our volunteers pride themselves in the difference they each make to our club that benefit all members, and welcome those willing to help us make our club the best it can be!
When you join our club and practice the fascinating art of lapidary and jewellery making you not only learn new skills, you make new friends in the process!
“Not all who wander are lost, we're just looking for rocks!”
Our Beginnings
Founded in 1965 as the ”Redcliffe Peninsula Lapidary Club”, now trading as the Redcliffe Gem Club has grown to become a non-profit, lapidary-focused organisation located on the beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula in the Redcliffe Botanical Gardens, South-East Queensland, Australia. Our club provides instruction and facilities for members to perform a range of lapidary-based activities, precious metal work for jewellery making, and faceting of gemstones.
As a result of Covid 19 the Redcliffe Gem Club have changed the format from having large Gem Shows.
Instead of having two large shows we are having single day Gem Markets at the Redcliffe Showgrounds.
Check our Events here on our website or our Facebook page to see when the next one is scheduled.
Look forward to seeing you there!
COVID 19
abouT us
The Redcliffe Gem Club (RGC) is a non-profit, community-focused organisation located on the beautiful Redcliffe Peninsula in South-East Queensland, Australia. The club provides instruction and facilities for members to perform a range of lapidary-based activities, precious metal work for jewellery making, and faceting of gemstones.
Thinking about joining the club? If so, you can try your hand at cutting, shaping and polishing rocks and minerals from suitable material available at the club, under supervision from one of our experienced and skilled instructors. After this trial period, you can opt to join the club and continue to learn and develop your skills in this area, or expand your skills in areas such as making jewellery with silver and other precious metals, through smithing and casting methods. You can learn to work with soft gems such as opal and jade, or learn to facet gemstones in our faceting workshop. The club also offers other activities such as rock slabbing, stone tumbling and field trips.
Click on the relevant link above or return to the home page for more information regarding each of these areas.
Want to learn more about what we offer? Click here to view our contact details including our location, opening times and membership fees.
Our facilities
Equipment:
Members have access to the following equipment at our Workshop:
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Diamond saws able to slab rocks up to 17cm
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Trimming saws
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Grinding wheels for shaping stones
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Diamond wheels for shaping and smoothing stones
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Vertical sanders and polishers
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Combination machines for working opal
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Horizontal flat lapping and polishing machines
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Silver and gold working tools
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Casting furnace (lost wax process)
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Faceting equipment and courses
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Wax moulding
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Microscope
Benefits:
Members will enjoy access to additional benefits such as:
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Lapidary, metalsmithing and faceting instruction
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Supplies of semi-precious material
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Store for purchasing silver
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An extensive gem, metalsmithing and lapidary library
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Morning teas and suppers at our daytime and evening sessions
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A kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities during sessions
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A meeting room
Other benefits to come include:
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Benefits and discounts provided by our sponsors
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Free lectures from visiting specialists
our policies and values
The RGC is committed to providing a safe, considerate, friendly, environmentally aware and welcoming environment for learning and participation in the various activities that the club provides to our community. To support these values, the club has provided the following policies. These policies will be periodically reviewed for currency and will be amended or added to as required. The policies seek to provide confidence to existing and prospective members that the club is focussed on promoting and upholding the values of our nation and community.
Please click on the relevant link below to view respective policies in the areas of:
Ossie Rippingale
Jean Steptoe
our History
In late 1964 Mr. Ossie Rippingale came to the Redcliffe Peninsula and opened a rock and shell shop ( Margate Gemcraft & Gifts) at 325 Oxley Avenue, Margate. Ossie, son of a farmer, had been born in Warwick Queensland and Educated in Warwick and Toowoomba. He trained as a sewing machine mechanic and travelled throughout the state developing an interest in shells and painting before arriving on the peninsula. A shy man he became an expert on marine life in Australian waters and was often consulted by educational and research institutions. His collection of marine specimens is now believed to be held in the Sydney Museum.
Whilst talking to a lady customer called Jean Steptoe, the idea of forming a lapidary club was conceived as both felt that it could succeed. An advertisement was placed in the local newspaper inviting expressions of interest from the general public which resulted in an inaugural meeting on the 20th. January, 1965 at the Rock and Shell Shop which was located on the corner of Oxley Avenue and Chatham Street. Thirty one people attended and the nucleus of the club was formed. After much discussion the name ”Redcliffe Peninsula Lapidary Club” was chosen, and after examining several likely premises for a club room, it was decided to rent the laundry and back room of the residence of Mr Rippingale at 1b Chatham Street behind the Rock Shop for one pound a week. Six keen members each loaned twenty pounds to the club and four grinders, five sanding discs for grit paper, a polishing disc and a slabbing saw were purchased to perform lapidary work.
Working bees were held to make stand and benches for the machines. Mr. W. Files set up the machinery and rendered great assistance. A Grand Opening was held on Wednesday the 7th. April, 1965. Jean Steptoe performed the opening ceremony on behalf of the President who was ill and the first recorded payment for the use of the club machinery was made on the 14th of April 1965.
How to Join & fees
Becoming a member of the club is easy. Simply phone us or drop by at the times we are open, and one of our members will gladly answer your questions about the club and show you around the workshop. If you have never done any lapidary work before, then prior to signing up and paying your fees, we offer the opportunity for you to determine whether or not lapidary is for you, by providing you with guidance and support to make a few cabochons in our workshop. Workshop session fees will apply ($5). We provide you the opportunity to make up to 3 cabochons in this manner. After that you may opt to join the club. You don't have to participate in the trial, you can opt to join the club immediately. The trial is just a "try-before-you-buy" option we provide for prospective members.
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Joining fee applies to the 1st new adult member only
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Members joining or rejoining from the 1st of July to the 30th of November will pay a reduced membership fee (click here for further information)
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Members joining or re-joining in December qualify for the following calendar year, 13 months membership. (click here for further information)
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Joining fee applies to new members only and is fixed
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Additional adults include parents/guardians and grandparents
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Members aged 12 to 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult
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Unaccompanied 15 to 17 year old members must sign out if leaving the club before the workshop closes.
Resources Library
Our resource library contains videos, charts, images, articles, text and links to other websites covering aspects of lapidary, gem faceting, and metalsmithing that may be useful to club members and to interested members of the community.
The resources are freely available on the web, but have been collated and grouped here for ease of access. These resources are for the purposes of education and research only, and the wishes of the relevant rights holders (if they are stated) must be respected. To continue, please select the relevant area of research below.
Metalsmithing & Jewellery Making
External Links
**Please note that the above links open 3rd party websites, and as such we have no control over their content.**
Instructional Videos
This is a selection of highly informative videos which demonstrate the various activities that the club offers.
Some of the videos also relate specifically to rock, minerals and gemstones in general.
Note, that the club may do things slightly differently than demonstrated in the videos, due to differences in equipment and process.
Copyright for these videos is retained by the original creaters. We do not own or make these videos.
Video Library
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Tim McCreight: The Complete Metalsmith
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Faceting Introduction Course
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How To Make A High Quality Cabochon
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Lost Wax Casting Tutorial
**All videos appear below**
Contact Us!
Opening Hours
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
8:00am
8:00am
6:00pm
8:00am
6:00pm
8:00am
- 12:00pm
- 2:00pm
- 9:00pm
- 12:00pm
- 9:00pm
- 12:00pm
Closed On:
Sunday's
&
Public Holidays**
**Please contact a committee member to confirm public holiday opening hours
Committee Members
Graeme
0408 883 600
07 3283 4834
Secretary@redcliffegemclub.org.au
07 3283 4834
07 3283 4834