Lisa Millar meets the new-age gem hunters of Queensland's Gemfields

The sign on the chalkboard next to the pool table was clear: "No name, no game." We'd arrived in the Gemfields in central Queensland just a few hours earlier and, after a quick reccy for the following day of filming, retreated to Rubyvale's pub for a meal. When Chontelle "Chonny" Penfold isn't hustling the pool table, she's hunting for sapphires on her block of land about 10 minutes out of town. The new age of gem hunters About an hour west of Emerald, small towns like Rubyvale and Sapphire are part of one of the world's largest sapphire-bearing regions. Loading YouTube content Where to fossick in The Gemfields: Willows: Sapphire-bearing is extensive Sapphire-bearing is extensive Glenalva: Good quality sapphires Good quality sapphires Middle Ridge: Sapphires near the surface and at slightly greater depth Sapphires near the surface and at slightly greater depth Big Bessie: Small, extensively worked area but close to Sapphire township Small, extensively worked area but close to Sapphire township Graves Hill: Shallow gravel wash to fossick through Shallow gravel wash to fossick through Tomahawk Creek: Contains large areas of unworked ground Contains large areas of unworked ground Sapphire/Rubyvale: Five designated areas mainly suit commercial interest.