Cessnock Gem and Mineral Club

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Cessnock, NSW
Cessnock Gem and Mineral Club

Directions Website Contact the organization

www.lapidaryworld.com/cessnock_gem_club It is situated in Hall Park, at the northern end of Stephen Street, in West Cessnock. Agate is also found in some areas.
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About:-

The Cessnock Gem and Mineral Club was founded in November 1966, in Vincent Street Cessnock, by 16 like-minded people, to encourage the hobby of collecting rocks, minerals, fossils and gemstones, and jewellery making. Over the years the Cessnock Gem and Mineral Club has raised money to purchase saws, grinding wheels, cutting, polishing and faceting equipment, as well as silver - smithing tools, for the use of its members. We have recently purchased casting equipment and will soon be able to offer facilities to make cast individual components using gold and silver. We have completed an extension to our clubhouse, following a State Government Community Building Partnership Grant. This Grant has enabled our members to enjoy the increased space and has allowed us to increase the amount of crafts available to members in a comfortable air conditioned environment. The club has members skilled in rock polishing, opal cutting, faceting, and silver jewellery making, beading and other crafts. Excursions are held throughout the year, as far distant as Lightning Ridge, and south to Victoria, while excursions within the local area are held more often. The Cessnock and Hunter Valley area is rich in deposits of coal, fossils and petrified wood. Some of the local fossils date back as far as 275 million years, which pre-dates the time of the dinosaurs. We hold a Rock Auction on the first Saturday in November each year, where you may be able to purchase some very interesting specimens – you may even take home a treasure.

03/11/2026

It is just like at Christmas - FOUR SLEEPS TO GO!!!

See you Saturday for the Auction!

02/11/2026

Monday 2nd November – What a perfect day at the club!

There was plenty happening today, with a little bit of everything!

Faceting
Wire wrapping
Silversmithing
Cutting and polishing cabochons

Always something happening at the club, and always something new to learn!

Whether you're an experienced maker or just starting out, there's something for everyone. Come along and see what we're all about!

OPENING HOURS
Monday: 10am – 4pm
Thursday: 10am – 4pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm

31/10/2026

31st October at the Club!

What a busy day at the club! It was wonderful welcoming some new members and visitors.

Silversmithing Room
Bezels, pendants and chains everywhere! We also had a very talented member creating a beautiful wire-wrapped tree.

Rock Room
It was all happening with cabochon making, faceting and polishing, turning some outstanding stones into beautiful creations.

There's always something happening, plenty to learn and great people to share the passion with!

Opening Hours

- Saturday: 10am – 4pm
- Monday: 10am – 4pm
- Thursday: 10am – 4pm

26/10/2026

Monday 26th October

What a fantastic Monday! 🤩 The club was absolutely jumping with activity today!

We welcomed a new member who picked up the fox tail chain technique so quickly — amazing work!

We also had some lovely new visitors come along and see what our club is all about.

🔨 In the workshops, we had faceting, silversmithing and wire wrapping happening, while over in the Rock Room, it was all about cutting cabochons and polishing up a storm!

So much creativity, talent and laughter all around. A perfect Monday at the club!

Want to learn a new skill, meet like-minded people or discover the world of gems and jewellery? Come and visit us!

We're Open:
Monday: 10am – 4pm
Thursday: 10am – 4pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm

24/10/2026

Cessnock Gem & Mineral Club – Saturday 24th October

What a fantastic day at the club! We were in full swing today and loved welcoming some new visitors!

🔨 Silversmithing Room: Busy creating incredible pieces, with some amazing bezels and chain designs taking shape.

💎 Rock Room: Cutting and polishing up a storm, with some beautiful, colourful cabochons coming to life!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming geode reels — you won’t want to miss what’s hidden inside!

Whether you love fossicking, gemstones, lapidary or creating your own jewellery, there’s something for everyone at our club.

Come and visit us!

Monday: 10am–4pm
Thursday: 10am–4pm
Saturday: 10am–4pm

21/10/2026

You're invited and so are your friends.

Our annual auction is happening on the 7th of November. Viewing from 10, auction starts at 10:30. Bring a friend and make a day of it with a light lunch being served for a small cost. There are specimens, slabs, cabs, agates, jewellery and much more. Try your luck in the raffle and take home a prize. See you then!

20/10/2026

Deep beneath the Australian outback, opal miners never expected to encounter the remains of a prehistoric crab transformed into a precious gemstone. Among the most extraordinary fossils associated with Australia's ancient opal deposits are rare specimens resembling crab claws preserved in shimmering opal.

In the famous opal fields of Lightning Ridge, Australia, miners have discovered fossils dating back approximately 100 million years, to the Cretaceous period. These prehistoric creatures lived when much of inland Australia was covered by ancient waterways. Over millions of years, silica-rich groundwater gradually filled cavities or replaced buried remains, transforming them into remarkable opal fossils.

What makes these discoveries especially fascinating is their brilliant rainbow-like appearance. Microscopic silica spheres within the opal create flashes of red, green, blue, and violet, turning ancient remains into natural gemstones. Instead of ordinary stones, miners can uncover extraordinary traces of creatures that lived millions of years before humans existed.

19/10/2026

20/01/2026

Only been back a few weeks but already achieving great things

Address

Stephen Street
Cessnock, NSW
2325

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://cessnockgemclub.wixsite.com/rock

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